Batgirl: Demons
by Jpbake
Summary: Three years after the incidents with the Joker, Barbara is struggling to get over the lost of her friends and roommates. Her personal life is taking a hit and she is finding herself coming closer and closer to crossing the line as Batgirl. When a new threat comes to her city Batgirl must find a way to keep her personal demons in check or risk crossing the line.
1. Chapter 1

**For those of you who are new this is the third story in a four part series I am doing based on the character of Batgirl. While it's not mandatory to read the other two, this does have themes from the past two stories that crossover so you might want to read both _Batgirl: Origins and Batgirl: Betrayel_ so you don't get confused. **

**Hope you enjoy. **

On the North side of Gotham a grey nineteen seventy mustang pulled up to a gas station. Inside the car was two heavy assault rifles, a duffel bag, military gear including a bullet proof vest, and a pair of ski masks. The drivers of the car was two of Gotham's most wanted fugitives, a married paired of bank robbers Danny and Erin Hall.

The couple who were in their mid thirties had been responsible for a string of robberies stretching all across Gotham as well as into Metropolis throughout the past years. They were known to be extremely ruthless and unforgiving and didn't believe in leaving any witnesses to their crimes. Their was often no limits to the places they targeting, having hit banks, convenient stores, shopping centers as well as dozens among dozens of gas stations throughout the past year.

Today they were at it again, pulling up to a gas pump Erin grabbed the duffel bag and exited the car.

"Remember the plan?"

"Of course I remember the plan," Danny barked back, "I feel the tank up with gas while you ready yourself for the robbery."

"Then sit and wait while I get the cash and take out the witnesses then you drive the getaway car."

"Erin, we've been doing this for a year now, why must you still run the plan by me?"

"Just to make sure you don't fuck it up."

"Why would I fuck it up? We've been doing the same thing for a year now."

"Just stick by the car." Erin growled as she walked inside the gas station and walked towards the bathroom to change into her heist clothes. Mumbling to himself Danny got out of the car and started to fill up the tank.

Hiding in the bushes out of their eye set, something was watching them. A monstrous being that was human in appearance but with grey callus skin, razor sharp nails and teeth, and big yellow eyes. The creature only wore a pair on beat up khaki shorts and didn't have a single hair on it's head. Waiting till Danny's head was turned and his focus was on the gas, the creature crept out of the bushes and walked slowly to where Danny stood.

It wasn't until the creature was in striking distance that Danny noticed a shadow creeping up behind him. Turning around Danny gasped as his eyes came in contact with the seven foot monster in front of him.

"What the hell?" Before Danny could react the creature grabbed Danny by the back of the head and smashed his face into the driver's side window. Not finished with it's attack, the monster pulled over to the driver's side back passenger window and smashed his face into the window again, the creature repeated that action again, and again, smashing Danny's face into every last window in the car, the back window, the right side window, the front passenger window, then finally finishing it off with the windshield.

The monster then threw Danny to the ground, Danny's face completely coated in blood and unrecognizable and he was to weak to get up due to the attack. As a result he watched helplessly as the monster walked inside the gas station where it's other target awaited.

Walking inside the gas station the creature's eyes landed on the front counter. Where the clerk gasped at the sight of the creature that just walked in. The monster lunged at the clerk and smashed the guy's face onto the desk. The monster then rammed it's fist into the glass case holding the hunting knifes and rammed one into the clerk's skull. The monster then wanked the phone right out of the wall and walked into the office where the manager was on the computer, completely unaware at what was going on behind him. That proved fatal because the monster came from behind and wrapped the telephone cord around the manager's neck. The manager gasped and started choking as he tried to get the cord off around his neck but the monster kept pulling tighter and tighter until finally the manager stopped choking. Releasing the cords the manager fell forward on his keyboard dead.

The monster made it's way back outside where Danny still laid by his car near death. All Danny could do was watch as the monster ripped off the door clean off the car. Danny wanted to scream, wanted to beg that thing to stop, but all he could do was cough up blood as the monster swung the door handle, slicing Danny's head clean off his body.

Picking Danny's decapitated head up by the hair the monster made it's way to the ladies room where Erin was changing. Erin was just about finished, putting on her bullet proof vest and pulling out her ski mask when she heard the door open. Freezing and not making a sound she waited, hoping it was just a costumer needing to take a piss. The monster walked to the first stall to find it empty, it then walked to the second stall and saw it was empty too. Finally it reached the final stall and saw the feet of Erin inside. It grabbed the nob and started to tug.

"Hey stupid there is two other stalls here this one is busy." The person on the other end didn't respond, instead it just stood their for a second before lifting it's grey callus hand over the stall. Erin suddenly felt a string of fear coming over her, backing up against the wall as far as she could.

Suddenly the monster lifted Danny's decapitated head above the stall and dropped it in front of Erin's terrified eyes. Erin screamed at sight of Danny's blood soaked head.

"NO DANNY! OH MY GOD!"

A hand came smashing through the wooden door trying to grab Erin, terrified Erin crawled on her belly to try to get to the other stall and run away. That proved to be a big mistake because the monster walked to the other stall and kicked the door in, pinning Erin where she sat.

Erin took out a six shooter and emptied the entire round into the monster. The monster screamed and took a step back with each shot, but all the bullets seemed to do was wound it. After the last shot the monster made it's way toward Erin. Pinned like a mouse in a trap all Erin could do was scream as the monster picked her up by the neck and lift her six inches off the ground. Erin coughed and gasped as she begged the monster for mercy, but her please was unheard as the monster grabbed the back of Erin's head and with one single twist, snapped Erin's neck a full one hundred and eighty degrees.

Out in a black SUV parked behind the bushes two people, a bald middle aged man with round glasses and a black beard, and a young woman in her mid thirties with long black hair watched the slaughter unfold on a computer that was hacked to the security camera's.

"Was all this senseless slaughter necessary Professor Strange?"

"Trust me Ms. Kyle," Strange responded in a law spine tingling voice, "This is only the beginning of our cleansing of Gotham."

"You promised me that only the bad people would get hurt. I didn't agree to help you harm innocents."

"You didn't agree to nothing Ms. Kyle. You only joined when I promised that you would be spared. Those two workers were merely collateral damage, a mild flaw but nothing to concerning."

"Not concerning?" Selina Kyle gasped "Hugo those two workers were innocent, they didn't deserve what happened to them! I did my part, I got you what you needed for your experiment so let me out."

Hugo just chuckled "Oh Ms. Kyle I can't let you go yet,"

"And just why the hell not?"

"Because in order to make this a success I will need more, lots more. You will continue to get me what I want, and as a reward I won't turn you into one of those things."

"Eventually you will be caught you know? Batgirl..."

"Batgirl is not a threat," The monster walked to the back of the SUV where there was a cage opened and ready for him. Hugo walked out of the drivers seat and locked the monster into the cage. When Hugo returned he turned to Selina and issued a stern warning.

"This is only the beginning, there is many more of Gotham's scum out there, destroying this great city. We are going to do what Batman and Batgirl never could,issue a permanent solution to the problem. Careful which side you choose Catwoman, otherwise you could find yourself just like them." Strange pointed to the camera where Selina saw the bodies of Danny and Erin both laying in a pool of blood. Her face going pale Selina nodded in understanding to Hugo's words.

"Anything you say Hugo."

On another side of Gotham three jewel thieves bolted out the store, bags in hand filled with many expensive diamonds and rings. As they ran to their getaway car they suddenly froze when they saw their getaway driver laying on the ground unconscious with his hands and feet bound. Standing on top of the car was Batgirl, her arms crossed, staring down the three thieves. "You know, you picked the wrong day to get on my bad side."

The thieves pulled out guns but with one quick batarange the guns fell out of the thieves, hands, leaving the thieves grabbing their wrists in pain. Batgirl leaped off the car and drop kicked a thief in the chest slamming him against the wall. A second thief grabbed the crowbar that they used to smash the jewel cases and struck Batgirl in the back of the cowl, knocking her to her knees.

"There's three of us Bat bitch and only one of you. You don't stand a chance!"

Batgirl growled as she forced to head to stop spinning, suddenly a part in Batgirl snapped and she eyed the three thieves with fire in her eyes. "Wanna bet?" Getting to her feet she grabbed the wrist of the guy holding the crowbar, snapping his arm backwards as she yanked the crowbar out of his hand. The guy screamed in pain as he heard his bone snap. Batgirl then used his very crowbar on him striking him over the back of the head, his face hitting the cement knocking him unconscious.

A second thief grabbed her by the waist but Batgirl fought him off her and grabbed him by the collar and slammed him onto the roof of the car. She then lifted the guy by the hair before slamming his face onto the car hood three times before throwing him into a parking meter.

Then her attention turned onto the third thief. The thief's eyes widened in terror and he tried to make a dash for it but Batgirl lunged at him, grabbing him by the waist and sending them crashing through the jewelry store window. Getting to her feet Batgirl grabbed the thief by the collar and started dragging him to the front counter.

"No, please, I surrender!" The thief begged, but Batgirl wasn't listening she slammed him on top of the counter and started beating him across the face repeatedly. "Your robbing days are over you scum!"

"Batgirl stop!" Batgirl heard Alfred say through her earpiece. Back in the Batcave Alfred was watching the whole fight through a tiny camera that Batgirl had built into the cowl. The camera was intended for Alfred to send help if Batgirl ever got injured in a battle. But over the past few months Alfred was finding himself using it more to tell Batgirl to ease up of a bad guy as Batgirl was slowly becoming more and more rougher on the Gotham baddies. "He has surrendered, stop your pursuit now."

Grinding her teeth Batgirl tossed the thief to the ground and cuffed him to a the leg of of one of the display tables before contacting her father.

"I got three jewel thieves nabbed at the Gotham city Jeweler on main street, requesting immediate pickup.

Five minutes later Batgirl's father Commissioner Jim Gorden along with three other squad cars pulled up to the jewel shop and led the thieves away. Batgirl was watching from the store rooftop as one of the thieves went off on Jim.

"You should be going after that Batgirl, that's what you should be doing!" The thief said "She's more dangerous then all of us I'm telling you. She's gone completely crazy. She's going to cross the line and kill somebody and when she does that's going be on you for allowing her to unleash her self riotous attack on Gotham!"

"He's not completely wrong Miss Gordon." Alfred spoke over the earpiece.

"I'm not like them," Batgirl protested

"Maybe, but if you keep going the way you are, your going to get somebody killed. Don't let that be on your conscious."

Hearing enough Batgirl turned off her earpiece and glided off.

She was nothing like the scum of this city, she couldn't be.

**As you can probably tell this one going to be more darker than the last two. I wanted to show Barbara really struggling mentally after the events of the past story and a dark villain that pushes her to the line felt like the best way to do it. **

**Hope you like it. **


	2. Chapter 2

Alfred found Barbara in the batcave, ramming her fist into the punching bag again, and again. It had been like this almost every night for the past three years. She hardly slept, spending most of her nights going out and beating up on petty criminals that would be better left to the police. After beating them into submission she would come back to the batcave and let loose on the punching bags. She wasn't the same after the Joker, and although Barbara never admitted it Alfred noticed it. Barbara was angrier, less forgiving, Alfred had to often time order Barbara to stop in order to not risk her beating the criminals to death.

"You could have killed that guy earlier," Alfred told Barbara when he walked down the stairs to the cave.

Barbara stopped and turned to Alfred, grabbing a towel off one of the tables to wipe the sweat that had built on her face. "I had it under control."

"No you didn't," Alfred protested. "If I hadn't ordered you to stop when you did you could have caused that guy permanent brain damage or worse. I have seen Batman go through this stage many of times in his years as a vigilante and by god I will not witness you going down the same road also."

"Well maybe it's the only way? If the criminals fear what I will do to them then maybe they will think twice before hurting my city?"

"Or maybe you will end up becoming just like them? Ever since Sarah's death and Harley's arrest you have changed, and not for the better. You are more dangerous then you ever were before."

"Sarah and Harley were my best friends..."

"And no matter what things will never go back the way they were before." Alfred interrupted. "I know how much they meant to you Barbara, but eventually you need to learn to let it go. It's been three years and you have never taken the time to heal, instead roaming the streets every night trying to find some purse snatcher to beat to a bloody pulp. This is not healthy, this anger. I've seen what it can do to people. When Bruce lost Robin at the hands of Joker it took everything in my power to stop him from crossing the line. I see the exact anger in your eyes every night that I saw in his. I'm begging you Barbara, seek help, heal. If not for yourself, for Sarah's memory."

"I'm doing this for Sarah."

"And do you think this is how she would want you honoring her? By coming closer and closer each night to becoming the very thing you hate? She would want you to move on, she would want you to find peace. If you are going to honor Sarah's memory as Batgirl then so be, it but do it the right way. This rage you are holding onto, it's not the right way. And eventually you're going to cross the line. I just prey you realize that before it's to late."

Barbara didn't respond, instead she just headed towards the stairs that headed towards Wayne Manor. "I going to work."

"Not smelling like you just got done running a marathon your not."

"Your not my dad."

"You better be bloody glad I'm not otherwise I would lock you in your room for that attitude of yours."

"Like it would stop me."

Alfred sighed and shook his head. Rather Barbara realized it or not she needed help, otherwise there was only two ways this path of hers ended. With her dead or becoming a murderer herself. He just preyed it never came to that.

_Batgirl watched as Harley took out the bazooka out of the helicopter and pointed it towards a gargoyle above her. Sarah pushed her out of way as Harley fired the bazooka, but was unable to escape the blast herself as the debris crashed on top of her, burying her underneath the rubble. _

"_No!" Batgirl cried rushing over to the rubble and started digging her friend out. By the time she reached her she was coated in blood and a sharp piece of stone was stuck in her abdomen. Seeing her friend dying Batgirl took off her mask, showing her identity to her dying friend. _

"_Barbara," Sarah whispered. _

"Barbara!" Barbara opened her eyes and shot up in her chair as she heard Lucius calling for her. She turned to see her boss staring at her with his arms crossed. A look of disappointment etched on his face.

"Sorry Mr. Fox." Barbara yawned "I've not been sleeping lately."

"I can tell." Lucius responded. This is the third time this month I've caught you asleep at your desk. What's wrong?"

Barbara sighed, she couldn't tell him she was spending all night giving hell to the criminals in Gotham, that would almost certainly put a damper on her job.

"Every time I try to sleep, I see her."

"Who?"

"Sarah, I see her lying in my arms, bleeding out, helpless to do anything as she dies in my arms. It's the same thing every night. As much as I try I can't stop seeing it."

It wasn't a total lie. The times Barbara did sleep she relived the night her friend died. She left off the part where she was Batgirl when it happened.

"I understand Barbara, I understand that you have been through a horrifying ordeal. Losing someone you care deeply about especially at such a young age and the way it happened, nobody should have to deal with that. But it's been three years, and it's affecting your work ethic."

"I know Lucius I'm sorry."

"It's been three years Barbara, when are you going to let it go?"

"I don't know if I ever can."

"Go see a therapist, I can't have you continuing falling asleep at your desk. You use to be such a hard worker but you have been slacking greatly as of late. If it was anybody else under any other situation they would be out the door now. But I like you Barbara, you have done such great things for this company. That is why I am begging you to get help in order to get over this. If this continues I'm going to have no choice but to let you go. Please don't force me to make that decision."

Barbara buried her head in her hands and sighed as Lucius walked off. He didn't understand. Nobody understood why she couldn't get over this. She had her mission, her duty. She made a promise to herself to make sure nobody did to anybody what Joker did to Harley. In order to keep her promise she had to continue to be rough on crime. She had to continue to put Batgirl before anything else. Wasn't that why Bruce left Gotham after all, to put Batman before his normal life. If he could do it why couldn't she?

She just wish it didn't take as much of a tole mentally as it was on her.

"Get your act together Barbara!" She scolded to herself as she continued to bury her head in her hands. "Get it together."

After work Barbara visited Harley in Arkham, the same as she did every Friday. This day was different however, as it marked the three day anniversary of Sarah's death, the day that both Barbara and Harley's life changed forever.

"How you holding up?" Barbara asked when she put the phone to her ear and talked to Harley on the other side of the glass.

"It's funny, despite being here three years I still feel like this is some wild dream, that I'm going to wake up and find myself back home, Sarah's still alive and making all of us pancakes before work."

"With powdered sugar because that was your favorite."

"Yep," Harley chuckled "Wouldn't eat the pancakes without them."

Harley sighed "I almost forget what Powdered sugar Pancakes taste like, I don't get that type of special treatment here."

"Stay strong Harley, you will get out of here I promise."

"Why do you still come here Babs?"

Barbara was a little shocked by that question. "Because I'm your friend. And I'm promised Sarah that I wouldn't give up on you."

"Sarah also would want you to move on with your life and stop fighting for her."

"What are you saying?"

"I've heard reports in here, from fellow prisoners as well as guards." Harley said softly, her voice becoming a whisper so nobody else could hear her. "I've even seen it in the TV's in the rec room. They're saying your getting out of hand, they say you are going farther than Batman ever did, dragging them to Arkham half dead. Some of these people will have permanent injuries. One guy you brought in six months ago still can't even hold a fork right. Barbara, if there is one thing I know it's not to let your personal emotions cloud your better judgement. I did that with the Joker and it destroyed me. Don't make the same mistake I did, move on Babs. If forgetting about me means you don't become me then run away, run far away from me. I'm not worth destroying your life over."

Barbara was about to respond when she heard a beep on her phone. Glimpsing at her phone she saw police had been called to a crime scene, at a local gas stations about twelve miles away.

"I got to go Harley, sorry."

"Remember what I told you Babs." Was the last thing Harley said before Barbara left. At much as it pained Harley, she wish it was the last time Barbara came to see her.

Police was already setting up the yellow tape when Batgirl Batgirl crossed the line a knew female officer that Barbara had never seen before stopped her.

"What the hell do you think your doing? This is a police crime scene, your not allowed to cross.

"I'm sorry who are you?"

"Officer Talia Tate. Now are you going to get out of here so we can do are job or am I going to have to arrest you for hindering a investigation.

"It's okay Officer Tate, she's with us." Jim spoke up, allowing Batgirl to cross the tape. "Sorry about that, Officer Tate doesn't really think to fondly of vigilante's."

"They have no business interfering with police work."

"Batgirl doesn't interfere." Jim protested "She works with us."

"Then let her take off that mask and put on a badge."

"Obviously you don't have a good opinion about us vigilante's but hopefully we can still work together."

Talia sighed "I'll tolerate you but only because your Commissioner friend is making me. But if you interfere in a way that can hinder this investigation, I will have you arrested. Do you understand?"

"Looking forward to working with you. So tell me what we are looking at."

"They were found a little over a hour ago, the victims are Danny and Erin Hall." Talia replied. "Police have been after them for about a year now for a string of robberies all throughout Gotham."

"I remember these two. I have been trying to pursue them myself for months to little success. The facts they didn't leave witnesses made them hard to track."

"We believe they were stopping by here for another robbery but as you can tell," Talia pointed to Danny's decapitated body laying on the ground coated in blood. Despite her toughness Barbara nearly gagged at the amount of blood and the condition of the corpse. "It didn't turn out well."

"Where is the head?"

"We are searching for the rest of his remains as we speak."

A officer ran outside the gas station and vomited, his face pale as a ghost.

"Something tells me we just found it."

Batgirl, Talia and Jim walked inside the gas station where the bodies of the clerk and manager laid.

"Looks like this was a slaughter," Batgirl replied, "But who could have done something of this magnitude?"

"That's what we would like to know," Jim replied "At first we thought it might have been Bane but we checked with Arkham and he's still accounted for."

"So if it's not Bane, then who is it?"

Following a trail of blood Batgirl, Jim and Talia to the woman's restroom where they saw Erin's body laying on the ground, her head twisted backwards, as well as Danny's decapitated head.

"Oh God!" Talia gasped

"Looks like you found the rest of the body," Batgirl replied.

"If Bane didn't do this, then who are we dealing with?" Jim asked

Batgirl stared at the bodies "I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

Later that night the bodies of Erin and Danny were laying in the morgue. Their autopsies had been completed and now the bodies were being waited to be picked up for cremation. As the bodies waited in the morgue however there came a twisting at the door. A masked figure sneaked in, he wore a black mask and a dark red shirt and dark pants. His cape was also black as well as his gloves and shoes. What He also had a yellow R engraved at the top left end of his shirt. Walking up to the bodies the masked figure took photos of the bodies as well as the death certificates and anything else he could use to help his investigation.

"I'm onto you Strange," The masked figure replied "I guarantee you, these are the last people you murder."

Getting all he needed he quickly sneaked out before anybody noticed him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Was going to post this earlier today but I just got back from seeing Shazam. Which was great by the way. Surprisingly scary for the tone they were going. But I loved it. **

"Run, step on it!"

A pair of robbers just finished robbing the first national bank of Gotham. Piling into the car the driver slammed on the gas zooming away before the cops showed up.

"Nice job!" one of the robbers laughed as he gave the other robber a high five. "In and out before the cops or Batgirl showed up."

"How much we get away with this time?" The driver asked

"From the look of it at least a few thousand," The robber holding the bag replied "Maybe even tens of thousands."

"Ah man Santa Prisca here I come!" The other robber replied. "I can't wait to get a tan."

Suddenly the driver slammed on his brakes, causing the bag of money to nearly spill out of hands of the robber holding it.

"Why the hell are we stopped?" The robber holding the money asked.

The driver pointed in front of him and the robbers turned to see a tall, grey skinned being standing in the middle of the road, neither budging or making a sound.

Furious the robber holding the bag of loot rolled down his window and started yelling at the being.

"Hey dumb ass? You trying to get ran over? Get out of the road now!"

The being didn't move. Having enough of this thing, the robber sat down the money bag, took out his gun and approached the thing.

"Buddy, if you don't move right now I swear I'm going to scatter your brains all over these godforsaken streets."

The being suddenly grabbed the robbers wrist. Snapping it so far backwards his bone could be heard snapping clear from inside the car. Dropping the gun the robber fell to his knees. That is when the monster grabbed him, lifted him over his head and carried him to the edge of the bridge.

"What are you doing? WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

The monster didn't answer, instead just throwing the robber off the bridge. The man crashed into a tree, impaling himself on a sharp tree branch, he was dead within seconds.

The driver and other robber stood frozen in horror at what they just saw. Finally the driver slammed on the gas in a attempt to get as far away from this thing as possible.

They didn't get far though before they heard something slam against the roof of the car. A hand suddenly came crashing through the roof, grabbing the driver and sending him flying out of the car and into the streets. With no driver the car went spinning out of control, the car went flying off the bridge railing sending it and the other robber crashing into the lake below, exploding as it made contact.

The driver crawled on his belly, trying to get away from the mad thing chasing him, but he soon felt the foot of the beast on his back, pinning him down.

"No, please!" The driver begged, "I'm just the driver, I didn't do any of the... AAAGGHH!"

The monster dug his thumbs into the driver's eye sockets, gouging his eyeballs out. Digging into the driver's pocket's he found a large hunters knife, pressing the blade against the driver's right ear he made a quick and deep slash that went across the driver's lips and into the driver's left ear.

The monster's wicked deed done he dropped the knife next to the drivers and walked off. Just like last time Selina and Hugo was sitting in a van and watching from a computer a short distance away.

"How much longer do you plan on doing this?" Selina asked

"Until Gotham is completely cleansed."

"Your a fool, Gotham can never be cleansed of crime cause Gotham the most crime ridden hell hole in the world. Why do you think we got people like Batgirl picking up the cops slack? You'll die before you completely cleanse Gotham."

"Don't underestimate me Miss Kyle, I got friends in high places that will ensure everything goes as planned. The question is Catwoman, do you want to live to see it prosper?"

Selina froze and her face went pale, lowering her head she nodded, in fear of Hugo's threat.

"Then I suggest you stop questioning me." Hugo turned off the computer as the monster walked into the back of the van and into it's cage. "Now there is another lab in Metropolis I need you to get into. My army must be completed by the end of the month."

"Hugo, I'm warning you, releasing a army of these things into a populated city will conclude in thousands of innocent people dying along with the guilty."

"Then the survivors can build a bigger and better Gotham out of their ashes."

"Batgirl is going to stop you."

"She can try." Hugo chuckled as he started the van and drove off "She can try."

The masked vigilante was the first to discover the bodies. Coming up to driver, whose body laid in the middle of the road, he picked up the knife and started examining for finger prints, only to discover there was none."

"Hugo must of burned that things fingerprints off when creating that thing." The vigilante thought to himself. "That's going to make it harder to track."

"Don't move!" The vigilante heard a female voice order behind him. Turning around he saw Batgirl standing behind him, a batarange in hand and ready to use it. "Drop the knife and turn around slowly."

The vigilante obeyed, but not without explaining himself. "This is not what it looks like Batgirl."

"Then why were you holding a knife covered in what I assume is the victim's blood?"

"Doing the same thing you do, studying the crime scene to try to find the thing responsible."

"Why should I believe you?"

Frowning the vigilante turned the body around to show Batgirl the extent of the stab wound. The cut was three inches deep and went from ear to ear and pass the guy's lips. "Could a human my size leave a cut this deep?" Batgirl's eyes widened in shock at the deepness of the cut, but she agreed that this masked vigilante could not of left that clean of a cut to go along with that size.

"We are on the same side you and I?" The vigilante assisted.

"Wait, I recognize that uniform. Batman's old sidekick used to wear one just as identical. Why are you dressed up as the Robin?"

"Why are you dressed as the bat?" Robin shot back.

"Don't get smart with me." Batgirl snarled "Answer my question!"

"You have been a inspiration to everyone in Gotham, including me. I have taken it upon myself to take up the Robin mantle because of you. As I said, we are on the same side."

Batgirl was surprised, this new Robin has taken up the mantle, because of her. No, this couldn't be right .

"No," Batgirl shook her head and turned away.

"No?"

"You may dress as Robin, but you are not Robin."

"And you are not Batman!" Robin snapped back.

"Your damn right I'm not the Batman! I'm Batgirl. I'm my own damn hero. And I'm going to tell you this just once. Stay out of my way. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into. This business will destroy you mentally and physically until all that is left of you is a shell of your former self."

"What's going on here?" Talia asked walking up to the crime scene. Several more police cars arrived including the car belonging to Barbara's father Jim. Talia gave one look at Robin and groaned "Aw great you got your own Robin now."

"No, he's not with me." Batgirl snapped as she started to walk away. "And do me a favor, if you see him again, lock him up."

"What?" Robin snapped running up to her. "You can't do this!"

"Trust me kid, I'm saving your life, I'm better off alone!"

"You can't do this alone!" Robin protested, "Not with this guy, I know who is behind this monster!"

Batgirl turned around when Robin mentioned that. Even Talia turned her head around a little and raised one eye brow, curios at what Robin knew.

"His name is Hugo Strange, he and this female burglar dressed up as a Cat has been robbing science labs all across the Gotham and Metropolis area. I don't know yet what they are stealing, but whatever it is he is used them to create that thing, and he could be making more as we speak. We have to work together on this, it's the only way to stop him."

Batgirl didn't say anything, instead just getting on her bike and speeding off.

"Batgirl wait!" Robin protested, "You can't do this alone!"

"If I were you?" Talia replied walking up and putting a hand on Robin's shoulder "I'd take her advice."

When Barbara reached the Batcave she instantly got on the Bat Computer and started looking up everything she could on Hugo Strange. She was so into finding out who this Hugo Strange was she didn't hear Alfred walk up to her.

"I suppose we aren't going to talk about your little incident with the new Robin are we?"

"You were listening in weren't you?"

"I always listen in on you when you are out there as Batgirl. Only way to keep you out of trouble."

"That kid is not Robin, no matter if he does dress like him."

"He did give you the only lead that you have at the moment, he could prove a useful alley."

"Or he could wind up as the last person to put on the Robin uniform, dead!"

"You can't keep doing this alone Barbara, a few alleys couldn't hurt."

"I'm not alone Alfred, I have you."

"I'm not out there in the battle field."

"If I allow people on the battle field with me and they get killed, I will never forgive myself."

"From the looks of it you still haven't forgiven yourself over Sarah's death."

Barbara paused then turned to give Alfred the harshest look she had ever given towards him.

"How dare you use Sarah's name in a argument, you know nothing..."

"I know how even after three years you refuse to let her go, and it's destroying you. You can't keep this up Miss Gordon. You need to let go of the past. You are getting more and more reckless out there, and you are clouding your judgement. That new Robin could be our closest lead to stopping this threat and you are pushing him away. You need to allow yourself to get close to someone again. Let this kid help you."

Barbara sighed as she got up from the computer and headed towards the exit. "Sorry Alfred, it's not that simple, if you knew, you'd understand. Sarah was the closest thing I ever had to a sister. You can't just replace family."

Alfred shook his head as Barbara left the Batcave. "She's becoming more and more like Bruce everyday."

Later that night Talia walked alone down a dark ally. Walking up behind a dumpster she was greeted by the shadow of a tall man.

"Batgirl knows now," Talia said "She knows Hugo is responsible for the monster."

"What else does she know?" The shadowy figure asked

"Nothing else yet fortunately but it's only a matter of time before she links it back to you. Give the order, and I will send twenty of our best assassins to get rid of her right now."

"No!" The man replied

"But Father!"

"Killing Batgirl this early will only risk our plan coming out before it's ready. Let the female bat do her investigation. By the time she realizes the truth it will be to late to do anything."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Oh Talia, I haven't lived hundreds of years being foolish. This girl wears the symbol of the bat, but she is not Batman. I've had the league study her in secrecy the past couple of years, she's careless, angry, acts with her emotions before her brain."

"And refuses help from anybody." Talia added remembering how she treated this new Robin.

"Her flaws will become her downfall. We don't have to do anything, she will cause her own downfall once she comes face to face with Hugo's army?"

"And is she doesn't?"

"Then we use her anger against her and force her to become what Bruce refused to be."

"The new head of the demon." Talia realized

"Yes, should she prove worthy she just could be the new Ra's Al Ghul."

**You wanted him, you got him. Ra's Al Ghul. While not originally in the plans I believe I have found a way to fit him in and make him work. If not, well at least I tried to make you all happy. **


	4. Chapter 4

Despite Barbara's wishes Alfred insisted Barbara take the day off from vigilante work and focus on her life as Barbara Gordon. Barbara obviously didn't like that idea in the slightest, especially with Hugo Strange and that monster out there. But after Alfred promised to look into Strange in her absent Barbara finally agreed.

Turns out, twenty four hours away from vigilante work was just what the doctor ordered. She had arguably the best day of work she had since Sarah's death. She was well rested and relaxed, there for that one day she felt like the pre Batgirl Barbara again.

But as soon as the twenty four hours was up Barbara was back to work, driving up to the Batcave dressed in her full uniform minus the cowl.

"Did you enjoy your little break for one day Miss Gordon?"

"It was… refreshing." Barbara found herself admitting. "I feel recharged which is strange to say. Now, about Hugo Strange?

"Yes well as you were enjoying your forced day off…"

"You don't have to say it like that."

"I say it as I see it. Anyway, Hugo has kept for the most part a pretty clean profile till now. He never had any run ins with Bruce, and has no prior criminal record until last year."

"What happened last year?"

"That is where things get… no pun intended… Strange. Up until last year Hugo Strange was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum. He was discovered doing illegal lobotomies and tests on many of the patients at the time of his termination. By the time the cops showed up to arrest him he had vanished."

"Only to pop up now." Barbara added.

"Did Harley or Sarah know anything about this Hugo Strange?"

"They never said anything about him during our time as roommates?"

"Do you suppose Miss Quinzell might be able to shed some light on our mysterious figure?"

"I don't know Alfred, but I'm going to find out."

The next day after work Barbara stopped by Arkham to pay another visit her old friend. This time though it a wasn't a routine visit, she needed answers about Strange, answers she thought only Harley could give.

Needless to say Harley was surprised to see Barbara again. "Babs please for the love of God stop visiting me, you need to move on."

"First off Harley I'm never going to stop visiting my friends, second I'm here on Batgirl business, and you could be my best bet for answers."

"What do you need from me?" Harley asked nervously.

"What do you know about Hugo Strange?"

Harley's face went pale as her eyes went wide with fear. "Babs, I'm warning you, be careful around that monster."

"Harley, what do you know about him?"

"I know that when I worked at Arkham he scared me more than any inmate ever did. He always seemed off mentally. He seemed like he was more fascinated in what made the patients mad instead of trying to help them. Often times me and Sarah overheard him talking to himself in his office how Gotham was a time bomb and how the city would only truly be saved if it was cleansed of it's current inhabitants and rebuilt under the next generation. We turned him in more than once but nothing was ever done about it.

"It wasn't until after I came here as a patient that I discovered his true sadistic behaviors. Behind closed doors he would experiment on us, pumped many of us with some strange chemical. I watched as many of my fellow inmates were transformed right in front of my eyes right in front of me."

"How many?" Barbara asked

"I can't say for sure, but at least dozens. Barbara, I seen what those things could do. He had the first inmate he turned into a monster rip another inmate apart right in front of my eyes. Whatever he did to those things, they aren't human anymore. That's when me and the other inmates turned him in. He to scared us more than any other inmate in that asylum. You got to stop him Babs, whatever his plans are with those mutated inmates, it has to do with the cleansing of Gotham."

"I will stop him Harley, I swear."

"There's something else Babs." Harley got as close to the glass as she could and her voice became so soft she was barely whispering. "He knows your secret, he knows your Batgirl"

Barbara's eyes widened at that news. She suddenly a alert popped up on her phone noting her of a possible crime that needed her attention.

"Be careful Babs." With that Harley hung up and she was headed back to her cell. Barbara looked at the location of the alert on her phone, it was a chemical lab. Barbara had noticed a hike in robberies at labs the past few years ranging from Gotham all the way to Central and Star City. Her father had done all he could to increase security at the labs in Gotham and had encouraged the cops in the other cities to do the same but to little success. Barbara knew there had to be a connection to the mutated inmates and the robberies, Strange had hired somebody to steal the chemicals he needed for his mutations and whoever he had stealing for him was a expert thief. She caught this thief she would put a major dent in Strange's planned. She had to stop this thief.

The lab was just on the city line between Gotham and Metropolis. Inside, Catwoman had taken care of most of the scientist. Using her whip she tied up the scientist and used them as hostages as she made her way to the chemical storage.

There was suddenly a crash at the window and Catwoman turned around, expected to see Batgirl, only to see to her surprise it was actually Robin.

"You look surprised to see me," Robin said.

"I was expecting the redhead," Catwoman hissed.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Robin teased.

"And I'm sorry for what I'm about to have to do to you." Catwoman then lifted her right leg to plant her heel right into Robin's face. Robin however quickly ducked and dodged to the right.

" You know, I don't like hitting ladies."

"Then take my advice and leave Gotham now while you still can, you can't stop what's coming, nobody can."

"You know I can't do that."

"Then you leave me no choice." Catwoman then swung kick after kick at Robin, but he quickly dodged everyone of them before quickly grabbing her left leg and twisting her to the ground, holding her leg in order to pin her down.

"Look Selina I know you don't want to do this. I've read your file your just a jewel thief, you have no interest in creating monsters that will destroy a city."

"You think I want to?" Catwoman hissed, I have no choice, he will turn me into one of those things if I don't do everything he says.

"I can protect you,"

"Ha!" Catwoman laughed "Nobody can protect me from that monster, I get this last batch of his P.A.H mutagen than I am getting my ass out of Gotham. If you are smart you would do the same."

"You know I can't."

"Then you're a fool."

Suddenly Batgirl came breaking through the door, she paused when she saw Robin pinning Catwoman to the ground.

"Took you long enough." Catwoman hissed.

Robin thought Batgirl would congratulate him but instead she took out a batarange and threw it Robin's lower leg, knocking him to the ground.

"Geez what was that for?" Robin cried as he grasped his leg.

"You were warned to stay away!" Batgirl hissed

"We are on the same side!"

"I am saving your life kid!"

"Me too!" Catwoman added, before Batgirl turned around and punched Catwoman in the face silencing her.

Batgirl then turned her attention back to Robin as she took out a pair of cuffs and handcuffed him to the leg of a table.

"I told you next time I saw you intervening I would have you arrested and I was not bluffing. Read my lips, you are not Robin, I do not need your help, and I do not want to see you out here again. Do you understand me!?"

Robin did not answer, instead just glaring at Batgirl with a look of anger and frustration.

"You know if you were smart you would listen to him." Catwoman smarted off before swinging her claws at Batgirl. Batgirl quickly dodged them, grabbed Catwoman by the wrist and twisted Catwoman's arms backwards. Catwoman screamed in pain as Batgirl held on to her arm as she pinned her down.

"Your under arrest for robbery, criminal conspiracy, and a hell of a lot of other things." Batgirl said.

"I had to don't you understand, he would have killed me if I didn't."

"Still doesn't make it right, and you can talk that over with the commissioner."

Batgirl lifted Catwoman off the ground and placed her in handcuffs. As she started to lead her outside she turned to the scientist who were still tied up. Taking out a batarange she cut them free from their bondages.

"Do you mind if I hold on to the mutagen, it will be safer in my hands then in yours until this threat ceases."

"Yes, of course," a female scientist said, "Take what you need.

Taking the mutagen and carrying it with her right arm she led Catwoman outside where her father awaited along with Officer Tate and four other police cars.

"Caught her red handed trying to steal this." Batgirl claimed taking out the mutagen. "This is what Hugo Strange is using to make his monsters." She then pointed towards Catwoman. "At least now we have his little partner in custody."

"Your making a mistake I was only working with him because I was forced." Tate grabbed Catwoman and forced her into the police car. "You think I'm safe in police custody, he will find me and kill me, you are signing my death certificate Batgirl!"

"I suggest having all remaining labs within the cities she has struck hand over all their mutagen until this threat passes."

"I will see what I can do," Jim said scratching the back of his head, but this seems strange, this is not the type of crime that Catwoman gets involved in. You think she's telling the truth?"

"Doesn't matter, she could have ran and sought protection, instead she is now just as responsible as away for a long time because of it."

"I thought you would understand like Batman, but I was wrong. You don't deserve to wear that cowl." Catwoman hissed at Batgirl as the car she was loaded up in drove away.

"There is one other person who needs to be taken into custody, I have him cuffed to the table inside."

Jim and Talia followed Batgirl inside, but when they arrived Batgirl found to her surprise that Robin was gone, only the cuffs she used on him remained.

"So where is this person you cuffed?" Jim asked.

Batgirl just growled and walked off. "Clever boy."

Up on the rooftop Robin made his getaway. He had a pick hidden up his sleeves get out of the cuffs, now he just needed to get as big of a head start on Batgirl as he could. He thought if he stopped Catwoman and helped her, Batgirl would see that they were on the same side. But instead she cuffed him and threw Catwoman to the cops not offering Catwoman the help she was asking for. Shaking his head he knew getting through to Batgirl was going to be harder than he thought.

Down the road Catwoman sat in handcuffs in complete silence. Then out of nowhere she lunged at the cops, breaking through the glass that separated her and the cops and lunged at the cop in the passenger seat. Opening the passenger door she used her razor sharp gloves to cut seat belt and kick the officer out. Then she turned to the driver. The driver took out a gun but before he could fire Catwoman kicked it out of the way, then knocked the drivers forehead against the glass giving him a concussion and stunning him. She then grabbed the steering wheel and putting her foot on the breaks and parked the car to the curb. She then unbuckled the cop and drug him out to the curb, laying her fist to the cops face knocking him out.

"Sorry I had to do that, but I'm getting out of Gotham while the getting's good. She dug through the cop's pocket and pulled out the key. Unlocking the cuffs she got back in the police car and drove off. Aiming to get as far away from Gotham as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter probably contains one of the bloodiest and graphic scenes I have ever wrote. If you can't handle blood well please leave. You've been warned. **

News of Catwoman fleeing quickly reached Strange and Ra's al Ghul. With Talia working undercover in the police force she was one of the first to hear of Catwoman's escape and quickly passed the word to her father and their associate.

"So what's the plan now that the cat has fled?" Talia asked when she returned to Hugo's lab. "She is going to go to the cops and spill everything before we are ready. We should have never let her in, we could have had any of our assassins break into those labs instead of putting our faith with that untrustworthy cat."

"She won't get the chance to talk," Hugo said calmly, not even looking at Talia as he held a syringe in his hand and studied the contents inside it closely. "Ms. Kyle has served her purpose, she is no use to me anymore. I warned her of the consequences of trying to flee but she didn't heed my warning efficiently enough. Now, she will soon learn of the consequences of her actions.

Hugo walked over to a prisoner strapped to a table. The prisoner was only in his underwear, sweating with fear as he stared at the long syringe that Hugo was pointing right towards him.

"No," the prisoner cried as Hugo lowered the needle and poked it against his upper arm. "NO!"  
Hugo injected the mutagen into the prisoner's system then all three watched as the prisoner screamed in agony as the mutagen flowed through his blood stream. Soon they all watched as he grew in size, his skin went from white to grey and callus, his nail and teeth became long and sharp and his eyes went from brown to yellow and his hair disappeared. His entire body also became hard and bony and he became three times stronger then his usual self. He was no longer a normal human being anymore, he was a monster, a mutant, and worse a mindless slave whose sole purpose was to do as Hugo wished.

As the transformation stopped Hugo stared into the eyes of his minion and barked his order.

"Find Selina Kyle, and kill her."

Catwoman was still driving the stolen police car when she approached the city limits. She turned around to give one last look at Gotham City aiming for this to be the last time she stepped foot in this city.

"Goodbye Gotham,"

Suddenly her phone rang, picking it up her eyes widened to see it was her roommate.

"Adrian what's wrong?"  
"Selina come home quick!" Adrian's panic stricken voice cried over the phone. "There's…. There's something here, something I've never seen before, you got to…" Adrain suddenly let out a blood curling scream as Selina heard a monstrous roar. She recognized that roar too, it was from the monsters Hugo created, and he had sent one to her house.

"Adrian? Adrian!?" The phone went dead. "Shit!" Turning the car around Selina turned on the sirens and sped back home as fast as the car could take her. "I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill that son of a bitch Hugo! Hang on Adrian, hang on!"

Catwoman broke every traffic law in the book getting home, but as soon as she slammed the brakes and the car came to a stop she flew out the drivers seat and ran to the steps. And that is when she paused. Gasping she saw the front door of her apartment had been ripped completely off it's hinges and laying in the side walk.

"Adrian?" Selina called out walking inside hoping, and pleading for her to be okay.

Selina soon screamed in horror as her worst fears soon became a reality. Laying in the middle of the floor in a pool of blood was a arm.

"No, no, no, no." Selina cried. Looking to her right she saw a leg laying next to a table lamp. Selina couldn't hold back her tears as she saw pieces of her roommate scattered around their blood soaked apartment. There was another arm laying in the middle of a hallway, and another leg right outside the bathroom door. The blood continued inside the bathroom, opening the door Selina let out a scream when she saw the head of Adrian floating inside the toilet. Selina almost gagged as she ran out the bathroom as fast as she could. Sobbing as she imagined the horror her friend must have witnessed the last few moments of her life. She then saw another trail of blood leading to the kitchen. Walking slowly towards the kitchen she saw the trail lead to the refrigerator. Opening the refrigerator that is when she saw Adrian's torso laying in the middle self, blood spilling all down below the lower self.

Selina cupped her right hand over her mouth as she sobbed, "I'm sorry, this is all my fault, this is all my fault."

Selina heard a familiar growl behind her. Slowly reaching into the kitchen drawer she grabbed a knife and prepared herself to face that monster that took her friend. Turning around that is when it shot out of the shadows and lunged at Catwoman.

Catwoman had no time to be scared, she was angry. She stabbed that knife into the monster's chest, digging it in as deep as she could as the monster let out in pain. Ripping out the knife Selina raised it ready to bury it into that monster again. This time it was ready for her though and swung his arm, sending her flying into against the kitchen table. The monster then lunged for Catwoman, quickly gaining back her senses she stabbed the beast in the hand right as it reached for her leg.

The monster let out a shriek in pain allowing Catwoman to swing the knife and slice the monster's throat. Selina then made a dash for the exit as the monster grabbed it's bleeding throat. Selina ran towards the stolen police car and instantly started it up. As she started speeding off she saw the monster run out the door and chase after her.

"What the hell?" Selina gasped "How is that thing still alive?" Selina floored the gas speeding down the streets as fast as the car could take her. But the monster was still on her trail. It hardly slowed down as it knocked other cars out of it's way, refusing to let anything stand in the way of it's target.

"Jesus Hugo, how powerful did you make this demon?"

Selina was just reaching the bridge when the monster lunged into the air and crash landed on the roof of the car. Selina saw a huge imprint from the monster landing on the roof appear, and she heard the demon rip the sirens off the car. A huge fist smashed through the window causing Catwoman to swerve trying to shake the demon off the car. All her efforts did however was cause her to drive into the railing, the front of the car crashing through the railing and lean over the bridge.

The monster's fist came crashing through the railing again and this time Selina swung her knife, stabbing the beast in the hand again. Once again the demon screamed and pulled back. She was hoping that the demon would finally retreat.

Instead what it did was rip off the roof, leaving Selina right in the open. Selina screamed thinking for sure this was the end, when something suddenly came flying out open and hit the beast in the back of the head. With the beast temporarily stunned Selina turned to see Robin standing behind the beast with a shuriken in his hand.

"How did you find me?" Catwoman asked as she quickly unbuckled herself from her seat and ran over to Robin's side.

"Hard to ignore a raging monster chasing after a police car being driven by a girl in a catsuit."

The beast quickly gained back control and charged the duo. With Robin by her side Catwoman felt confident they could take down this beast. Catwoman taking out her whip and Robin his staff they quickly countered the monster. Robin leaped over it's head and whacked it over the head with his staff. Catwoman took out a pair of bolas and tossed them at the monster's tangling the beast up and causing him to trip. Catwoman then wrapped her whip around the beast's neck hoping to strangle that demon.

"This is for Adrian you son of a…" That is when the beast grabbed Selina by her shirt and slung her over his shoulder and slammed her against the ground. The monster then got on top of her and wrapped his fist around her throat in a attempt to strangle her.

"Catwoman!" Robin cried out. Robin then pressed button on his staff and a blade came out. Charging the monster he ran the blade into the monster's back, the demon screamed and let go of Catwoman's neck. Catwoman gasped and coughed, grabbing her neck and trying to catch her breath as the monster tried to reach for the blade in it's back. As Robin pulled the blade out he kicked the beast in the chest. The monster fell backwards and Catwoman, having caught her breath got up and threw another set of bolas, this set wrapping around the monster's waist and around the chair.

To ensure the monster didn't escape Robin threw two more Shurikens, each one stabbing the beast's hands trapping him in it's seat. Robin then took out his staff again and as soon as the blade popped out he ran the blade right threw the monster's chest, impaling him. The monster screamed in pain as Catwoman pushed the car off the edge of the bridge, sending the beast falling to his death. Catwoman and Robin watched as the car exploded, and both let out a sigh of relief knowing the beast was gone.

"I hope that doesn't count as murder," Catwoman spoke.

"That thing wasn't human," Robin replied. "Not anymore at least."

"Thank you," Catwoman said turning to Robin.

"Don't mention it," Robin replied. "But you need to mention everything you know about Hugo Strange. I can't help you unless I know what he's planning.

"I didn't want to help him," Catwoman stated "When he bailed me out of Blackgate and told me what was planning I knew he had a few screws loose. But then he threatened me and told me I would be spared only if I did what he said."

"And what he said involved you stealing the mutagen used to create that thing." Robin pointed down below where the flame was burning.

"He said he would turn me into one of those things, I was working out of fear. That is why I tried to bail when Batgirl had me arrested, to try to escape him, to try to escape what is coming.

"And what is coming exactly?"

"He has hundreds of these things, a army that he is planning to release onto Gotham. He calls it the cleansing of Gotham. His plan is to wipe out all the criminals in Gotham so the survivors can start new in a purified Gotham. But those things are unstable and they will kill anything that stands in their way, guilty or innocent."

"So I can tell."

"There is one thing else you should know. He's not working alone. He was hired, by one of the most dangerous terrorist in the planet. The leader of the League of Shadows himself. Ra's Al Ghul."

Robin's eyes went wide when he heard that name. He had only heard stories about that man, and none of them were good stories.

"How soon are they to releasing these things?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it's going to be soon."

Back in Hugo's lab him, Talia, and Ra's all stared gloriously at a room filled with rows among rows of cages filled with his monster's.

"Look at them, hundreds of Blackgate's and Arkham's worst, all mutated and reduced to nothing more then puppets to serve me."

"You did good Strange, soon they will rid this crime ridden city off it's scum once and for all."

"Oh we won't just stop there Ra's. After Gothem, we will use these things to cleanse… the world."

**I know Batgirl was not in this chapter. I wanted a chapter that focused more on Catwoman and Robin so they didn't seem like background characters. Batgirl will be back to her lead role next chapter. **


	6. Chapter 6

Two days later Jim was working late at the office trying to get any leads he could on Strange's whereabouts and where Catwoman ran off to. Batgirl forwarded all info she found over to him as well as what she knew of Hugo's plan which involved the brutal slaughter of every last criminal in Gotham.

Not that Jim would lose any sleep over most of these criminals should they parish but what Strange was committing was worst than anything any of them had done save for maybe the Joker, and NOBODY deserved to die the way that they were being killed.

Thing was Hugo was basically a ghost. The background that Arkham had looked up on him before hiring had been faked, he had no previous records or anything, it was like he just showed up one day out the blue.

"Who are you Hugo Strange, really?"

Suddenly a batarange came flying over his way and stuck on the wall. Getting up from his chair he walked up to the batarange and pulled it out of the wall. On the batarange was a note with a single word on it.

_Rooftop_

Batgirl was standing next to the Bat signal when Jim arrived, her back to Jim as she stared out to the city.

"Any new leads on Strange?" Batgirl asked finally turning around to face her father.

"Not at this point," Jim admitted, "All his records have been falsified it's like he's a ghost. Nobody knew who he was before he arrived to Gotham."

"There has to be something to help us find this guy."

"There might be one thing," Jim took out some pictures taken from video footage from the past monster attacks. "We thought we were chasing only one monster but take a look at the monster from the gas station attack and the one from the attack on the robber's car."

Batgirl looked at the two photos then she noticed the difference, "One of them has a illuminati tattoo on their right shoulder.

"We did a run on every citizen in Gotham who had that particular tattoo on their shoulder and only one name popped out. William Loomis, he was serving a life sentence in Blackgate for a terrorist attack that left over a hundred dead. Now look at the other one more closely.

"He is missing the middle three fingers on his right hand, and has a scar over his left eye."

"Miles Fletcher, was responsible for more than a dozen murders three years ago, when apprehended he claimed that they were aliens out to get him."

"I remember him," Batgirl replied, "I locked the poor bastard up in Arkham myself."

"This means that we know where Hugo is getting his men for his army."

"But how?" Batgirl asked "Hugo was fired from Arkham, if he showed up on the facility he would be noticed. Someone had to be sneaking them out."

"There was no signs of a break in either, as every prisoner was removed legally. So that rules out Catwoman.

"Someone else is working for him, either a guard or a Warden or a…"

"Cop," Gordan finished.

"Get all records of any prisoners transferred out of Blackgate and Arkham, we need to find out who is taking them out of their prisons and put a stop to this now before anyone else is mutated into those things.

Down at Blackgate a dozen prisoners were loaded into a black van, leading the escort was Talia Al Ghul, decked out in her officer uniform and going by her falsified "Talia Tate," name.

"Where did you say you were taking these group of prisoners again."

"To Iron Hights," Talia replied as she closed the door and locked it. "They all have some outstanding warrants in Central City will be escorted there for trail." Talia handed the warden some papers to sign. "If you can just sign and we will be on our way."

Despite the warden's suspicion he signed the papers anyway, approving the transfer. Talia then hopped in the drivers seat of the van and drove off.

"Let father know we are on the way with another load." Talia hollered out at Hugo who was riding in the back with the prisoners."

"Very Well Ms. Al Ghul."

"Mind if I ask how many more before your project is complete? I don't know how many more of these phony prison transfers I can pull off until the cops finally catches on to us."

"Trust me Ms. Al Ghul, this last batch right here is all we will need."

"It better be," Talia growled to herself. Despite living up to his promises so far Talia still wasn't one hundred percent trusting of Hugo Strange. Mainly because of bringing Catwoman on board and her later fleeing them. If this plan didn't work , and her cover was blown before her father was ready, she was going to kill Hugo herself.

"So have your father found anything yet Ms. Gordon?" Alfred asked when Barbara arrived back to the Batcave.

"Nothing yet but he is going to look into Blackgate and Arkham ASAP. He has reason to believe one of his own cops is working for Strange and breaking prisoners out via prison transfer to use for his monsters.

"Would one of Gotham City's finest really help pull off such a despicable act such as this?"

"I don't know Alfred, but it makes since the more I think about it. Catwoman was working for Strange."

"Under Distress I might add." Alfred pointed out.

"My point is if Catwoman was forced to work with Strange maybe a officer is too. It's the only logical reason for how prisoners can get removed from two maximum secured prisons and not raise suspicions."

"Lets just hope that like Catwoman they were forced to work against their will."

Suddenly the bat computer went off and Barbara ran over to check on the alert.

"What is it Miss Gordon?" Alfred asked.

"I rigged the satellites yesterday to pick up any trace of those monsters in order to stop another attack before they happened." Barbara replied as she typed viciously on the keypad

"And you found Hugo's next target?"  
"Yes," Barbara clicked enter and a red popped up.

"15th Street, East side of Gotham,"

"That's were Falcone's old hideout used to be."

"He was released from prison recently, along with most of Falcone's men. And now Hugo knows it to. Putting on her helmet Batgirl hopped on her Bat Cycle and raced over to Falcone's hideout, hoping to get there before the monster did.

"Glad to have you back boss." One of Falcone's men said as they sat down for the first meeting since Falcone's release.t

"No prison can hold me forever, not when you have your lawyers dig up a old affair to blackmail the district attorney with. You should have seen how fast they got me out."

"You're a true genius boss."

"Yeah one of the best."

Suddenly there was a sound like the door getting ripped opened.

"What the hell was that?" Falcone yelled "Bruno, Lefty, go check that out!"

"Sure thing boss," The two gangsters pulled out their guns and followed where the sound came from. "Man that better not be the Bat, we haven't even done anything yet."

There was the sudden sound gunfire, Falcone and the rest of his men listened on nervously as the sound of panicked gunfire filled the room.

"It ain't even slowing him down Bruno! It ain't…" Suddenly everyone heard the sound of Lefty screaming and the sounds of bones being crushed."

"Oh man! Oh man I'm getting out of here!" Bruno was heard crying out before he let out a blood curling scream, and the sound of a blood thirsty roar echoed the building along with the sound of what heard like limbs being ripped apart.

Falcone and his men's faces went white, this wasn't Batgirl they knew that, this sounded more demon like.

"The rest of you, get that thing!" Falcone ordered, trying to hide how scared he was.

"S-s-s-sure thing b-b-b-boss." They replied all shaking in fear as they walked down the hallways with their guns.

Within seconds the hideout was flooded with the sound of screams and gunfire.

"Get it!" Someone screamed before opening fire.

"Oh god! OH GOD!" Another screamed

"STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY!"

Soon all of the screaming and gunfire stopped and Falcone clinched his gun as tightly as he could, no longer even attempting to hide the terror in his eyes.

There was the sound of something rolling towards the open door to Falcone's meeting room, Falcone looked towards the door and saw the head of one of his men rolling towards him.

That's when he saw the monster lung at him. Falcone screamed as he fired a his shotgun at the monster's head. The bullet made a direct impact and fell to the ground temporarily stunned. Falcone took that time to try to make a break for it. Running towards the rooftop the monster got up and quickly followed suit.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Falcone screamed as the beast chased after him.

It was raising when Batgirl arrived to the hideout. Taking off her helmet she gasped in fear when she realized the monster had already beat her.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Batgirl heard Falcone scream. She looked up and saw the monster chase him to the rooftop and tackle him to the ground biting, and attacking his face.

Batgirl gasped in horror as she finally saw the beast for the first time, It was nothing like she had ever fought before, it was huge, it was fast, and it wasn't human. Shooting her grapple up to the rooftop her eyes widened in horror when the monster turned and stared at her, blood dripping from his teeth and nails. Batgirl stared at Falcone and saw that she was to late, his nose had been bit off and more likely eaten, his eyes had been gouged out and his face had been so mutilated it was unrecognizable.

Batgirl's fear soon turned to anger, this ended now. As the monster charged she threw several Batarangs at the beast, landing them in the chest, neck, forehead and eye. The beast screamed in pain as it pulled each batarange out. Blood spewed from where it's left eye use to be, and the beast roared in anger as it attacked. Being half blind didn't stop the beast from it's murderess pursuit. Swinging blindly Batgirl had to dodge to the right to avoid the beast claws digging into her chest. Batgirl then landed a fist to the monster's side only to grab her wrist in pain afterword.

"The monster's skin is to tough to punch." Batgirl realized, "That's why bullet's don't make a impact." She had to defeat this monster another way.

The monster took a swing and knocked Batgirl backwards, nearly causing her to fall off the roof. The monster then charged at Batgirl going for the kill. As Batgirl picked herself up off the ground she noticed a power line right below the roof. She knew what to do, taking out her grappling hook, she waiting until the beast was almost right on top of her and fired, wrapping the cord around the beast's waist. Before the monster had a chance to break free Batgirl kicked the monster and it fell off the rooftop and landed on the powerline. Batgirl watched as the powerline electrocuted the beast. The beast screamed in pain for a few moments before it stopped moving. Batgirl hung her head in shame, that thing was no longer human, but she wondered if there was another way she could have defeated that beast.

Her father, Talia and half a dozen other officers soon arrived shortly to inspect the damage. Talia's eyes widened as she saw the monster dangling dead from the wires.

"Batgirl, what did you do?"

Batgirl didn't answer as she slowly walked to her bike ashamed of her act.

"That thing was no longer human," Jim replied trying to side with Batgirl's actions. "I'm sure Batgirl had no other option." Jim turned to Batgirl for confirmation "Right?"

Batgirl just put on her helmet and drove off, not answering her father. As much as she wanted to believe she made the right choice she couldn't help but to look at the facts and that was that she took a life.

And no matter what the circumstances there was no excuse for that.

**Question, should I up the rating for this story to M? With the amount of violence and blood I am thinking it might be hard to continue justifying a T rating for this story. **


	7. Chapter 7

**After going through all the content in this story I felt there was no way I could continue to justify a T rating. So I have upped the rating to M. Not because it's heavy on language or sexual content but because it is strong on bloody violence. Hope that's okay with everyone.**

News of the attack made its way to all the news channels. Falcone's death alongside all his men, the death of the monster, and the one who killed the beast, Batgirl. For Barbara, knowing she took a life was eating her alive like a tick on a dog. Yes she was put in a kill or be killed situation, the monster was not going to stop until he killed her, but it's not like that monster was the first thing that tried to kill her. Joker, Black mask, hell even Harley had all tried to kill he at some point in her life and she had managed to subdue them without killing them. So why couldn't she had done the same with this beast?

"Don't continue to beat yourself up over this Ms. Gordon?"

"I killed a person Alfred!" Barbara yelled "Yes that thing was a monster but it was once human, it was a living thing."

"And you was put in a situation where you had no choice, there was no stopping that thing."

"Bruce has a code, and that code is never to kill, and I broke it. There could have been another way."

"Ms. Gordon has your father ever had to kill before?"

"What… What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"As Police Commissioner your father has a duty to protect the citizens of Gotham same as you. And to uphold the law. Your father would never kill unless put in a situation where there was no other option. Your father's a great man, but there has been times that even he had to take a life in order to save others."

"And each time they tore him apart," Barbara countered. "He would come home each night for about a month and just stare at his bedroom wall with his lights off and just sob, knowing he broke a family apart each time he had to kill someone in the line of duty."

"But each time he knew he made the right decision no matter the consequence. So did you. That monster, he was going to kill again, and again. You made a choice, and like it or not you have to accept it and move on. Hugo is still out there making more of those things. You might not have been able to save that one, but you can save the others. And that starts by finding Hugo, and putting a end to this madness."

On another side of Gotham Robin and Catwoman was watching the report on the attack. As Robin watched and listened he knew Batgirl would not be ready for what was waiting for her. She needed their assistant, rather she admitted it or not.

"We got to let her in on Ra's," Robin replied.

"Why? So she can try to arrest both of us again?" Catwoman smarted off.

"Look, I know the two of you don't really trust each other, but if what you are saying is true than the only way to stop Ra's and Hugo from releasing that hellish army is working with Batgirl."

"And what makes you think she is even going to want to listen?"

"The League of Shadows, plus a army of blood thirsty monsters, she'll listen."

Barbara was back at her apartment thinking over what Alfred told her when she saw the Bat signal go off. She really wasn't in the mood to do any hero duty at this moment, she was still upset over the conclusion of her last battle. But she put on that cowl for a reason, and that reason was to protect Gotham in Batman's absent. And that Bat signal was the call signal for whenever the Bat was needed. So with a sigh she put on her cape and cowl and grappled over to the rooftop of GCPD to answer the call.

She expected to be greeted by her father, only to be taken by surprise to see Robin and Catwoman standing there.

"I know that you don't really trust us…" Robin started to reply.

"Look I'm not really in the mood to deal with a Robin Cosplayer and a fugitive right now." Batgirl interrupted disgusted. "So you've really caught me at a bad time."

"We've got news on Hugo," Robin continued. "We know hes working with someone."

Batgirl folded her arms and glared at Robin, letting him know that he had her attention.

Robin continued. "Hugo was hired by the League of Shadows. The head of the demons Ra's Al Ghul heard of his past experiments and hired him to destroy Gotham

"Past? He's done these things before in other cities?"

"And under different aliases which is why his records are all falsified. He always made his escape before the cops could arrest him but Ra's Al Ghul had the league track him down. They are here in Gotham, and I think I might know where to find them." Robin handed her a piece of paper with the address of the suspected location. "You don't have to do this alone. We are here to help."

Batgirl looked at the address for a second then turned to face Robin. "I won't be alone." Batgirl then jumped off the roof and glided away, leaving Robin and Catwoman confused.

"Well," Catwoman spoke up in sarcasm "That went well."

Jim was working late in his office again when he heard Batgirl work her way in.

"Batgirl? What are you doing here?" Jim asked.

"Ra's Al Ghul!"

"Come again?"

"Hugo Strange, the monsters, their all connected to Ra's Al Ghul. He hired Strange to create those things."

Jim paused then leaned back into his chair and rubbed his temple. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse. Ra's Al Ghul, the League of Shadows, they are the most dangerous terrorists on the planet. If they are the masterminds behind this…?"

"They are."

"Then we got to stop them immediately."

Jim wasted no time calling every GCPD officer on the force, due to Batman's many battles with Ra's Al Ghul they all knew how deadly the League of Shadows was, and they all prepared for them, many wearing riot gear to protect themselves as much as possible from the league's arsenal.

The GCPD was hoping to ambush them, but with none of them knowing Talia's connection, Talia was able to sneak off the morning before the raid and warn her father.

"They are coming!" Talia warned, Ra's back was turned to her, and he stared at the Lazarus pit as Talia warned him. "Commissioner Gordon knows about the league's involvement, and are coming for us."

Ra's kept his back to her, but turned his head to look at her. "Do they know of your involvement?"ui

"No father, my cover is still intact, for now."

"Good, keep it that way. When you arrive with the GCPD, keep up the act, make it believable, I will inform the rest of the league to go easy on you. I won't say the same for the rest of them. Keep up the good work my daughter."

Talia bowed to her father and walked away. When Talia was gone Ra's turned to one of his assassins, "Prepare the others, we are about to have some unwelcomed visitors."

"Are you sure this is the place?" Talia asked Batgirl as she led the officers to the location, a abandoned underground Subway station, that was once the main train station in Gotham but after years of wear and tear and poor maintenance had since been shutdown. This made it the perfect location for the league of assassins to do their biddings, as well as stay hidden.

"This is where my informant told me they were located."

"Your informant? The Robin?"

"I'm not the most trusting of him either right now but he wouldn't come to me with something like this unless he was sure about it."

"You better be right," Talia sighed, keeping in character the best she could. She wasn't happy that their cover had been blown to soon, but at the same time, if they could wipe out the GCPD and Batgirl at same time, there was no stopping them from destroying Gotham.

"Ready yourselves," Jim replied as everyone took out their weapons. "Permission to use lethal force, once we get inside all hell is going to break loose! We shut the league down Hugo will have no place to run and his operation will be shut down!"

"We're ready," Batgirl replied.

"Now!"

The GCPD marched in guns in hand and their fingers resting on the trigger. As they marched inside they saw Ra's with his back to them, his arms folded behind his back, his posture calm. Not that it mattered to Jim.

"It's over Ra's, on the ground!"

Ra's slowly turned to face the commissioner, a small smile on his face. "Good morning Commissioner, I must say that I am actually glad you are here."

"Save me the flattery, on the ground. Your little regime is finished."

Ra's just let out a chuckle, "Commissioner I don't know if you are aware of it but I have been alive for hundreds of years, I have evaded capture from the most heroic figures in history. And even if one did manage to kill me I have always came back thanks to pits like the one you see behind me. You think your little threat means anything to me? Even if you do kill me, the league and everything it stands for will continue without me. But right now I would worry about yourself right now.

Hundreds of assassins showed up in a puff of smoke and surrounded the officers and Batgirl.

"How did you…?"

"Oh Commissioner you think I would be caught off guard? I have eyes everywhere, the question is do you?" Ra's turned to his assassins, "Let's give our guests a welcome."

The assassins charged the GCPD, one swung her sword at Batgirl causing her to instantly dodge out of the way and grab her wrists, knocking the sword out of the assassins hand. She then landed a punch the assassins face knocking her out, before taking out three batarangs.

"What are you planning to do with those?" Talia asked as she fired her weapons at the assassins, making sure to either narrowly miss or give them just a flesh wound, to make it look real.

"Going to disarm as many as I can."

"You really think that will make them stand down?"

"No, but it will even the playing field a bit." She then chunked the bataranges at three assassins, hitting them in the wrists and knocking the swords out of their hands. She then lunged at the assassins tackling one to the ground and knocking her over the head hard enough to knock her out. She then turned to a male assassin and kicked him in the face, she then grabbed him and wrapped her arm around his neck, putting him in a headlock before she slammed him into the ground, she then delivered her foot into another male assassins chest before leaping in the air and landing her foot to his face.

She turned around and saw her father dealing with one assassin, unaware of the one sneaking up behind him with a sword. Taking out a batarange she throw the batarange at the female assassin, hitting her in the back and making her fall to the floor.

The noise behind him caught Jim's attention and he turned around to see the assassin laying on the floor.

"Thanks," Jim replied. Batgirl nodded but suddenly Jim pulled out his gun and fired behind Batgirl, striking a assassin that was coming at Batgirl from behind. Batgirl turned to see the assassin on the floor and nodded at Jim.

"We're even."

Batgirl saw Ra's watching the whole thing from a balcony, grappling up to his position she threw a fist at Ra's only for him to block it

"Oh please Barbara didn't you learn anything studying Bruce's techniques?"

Batgirl paused at the mention of her name.

"Yes Miss Gordon I know, the same way I know Bruce is Batman. I've been around for hundreds of years, you think I wouldn't pick up some detective skills on my own. Your father gets arrested for a crime he didn't commit and then you all of a sudden rise to the scene. To the public it might just seem like someone picking up in Batman's footsteps, but I know better. I knew it had to be someone close enough to Jim who would go to great lengths to prove his innocents, lengths Batman couldn't take because he was gone. That left only one person Miss Gordon, you!"

Batgirl screamed and delivered a kick to Ra's face. Ra's fell backwards and rubbed his bloody chin.

"You can't stop it Miss Gordon, it has already begun, Strange has his army complete."

"Where is he!?" Batgirl growled, picking Ra's up by the collar."

"Oh I'm sure you know where the place is considering it was once owned by your boss. You know the old tech lab on the south side of Gotham. You'll find your target their. Along with your best friend who he has hostage and will experiment on next.

"No!" Batgirl gasped. "Harley?"

"Oh yes, this is the cost of getting dragged into this lifestyle Miss Gordon! But lucky for you I am a honorable man, I'll even help you reach her in time." Ra's spoke into a earpiece to the other assassins. "Fall back."

Suddenly the league of shadows disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving the surviving GCPD officers confused.

"Clock's ticking Miss Gordon!" Suddenly Ra's dropped a smoke pellet of his own and disappeared.

Batgirl glided down to the floor level and marched towards the exits.

"Hugo's at the old Wayne Tech lab. I'm going after him."

"We're coming with you," Jim replied.

"No, Your focus needs to be tracking down the league. I'm going after Hugo."

"Who are you to tell the police what to do?" Talia replied sternly.

"Officer Tate!" Jim shot back, Talia instantly went quite as Jim turned toward Batgirl. "We will see what we can do." Only Batgirl was gone by the time Jim turned around. "Huh? She does that too."

Talia got a call from her father on her earpiece, Ra's talked soft enough so nobody could hear her.

"Follow her, it's time she meets the real you."

"I understand." Talia whispered back. Patting her pocket where a dagger laid hidden in it's sheath, Talia smiled to herself. This was a meeting she was dying to have.

**Oh man next chapter is going to be a doozy, you are not going to want to miss it. **


	8. Chapter 8

**This is the chapter I've been dying to get to since I started this story. When I started planning the third installment this was actually the first scene I thought of (with a few changes to fit in the league of shadows) so I'm excited to finally get to write it. **

_24 hours earlier. _

"Lights out patients," A Arkham guard called out through the hallways of Arkham. "All prisoners return to your cells for the night, no exceptions!"

A guard led Harley to her cell, Harley kept her head hung low as the door slammed shut behind her with a loud clank. With a depressed sigh Harley laid in her bed and stared at the ceiling. There was a small window in Harley's cell that showed the lights of Gotham which marked the only reminder of her other life outside of Arkham.

"I wonder if I'm ever going to get out of this place," Harley thought "Get to feel the sun beat against my skin, get to feel the crispness of a summer breeze? I'd give anything to get out of here, get my life back."

Suddenly there was the sound of a explosion on the far side of Arkham. Harley sat up in her bed and walked over to the cell door bars as she heard the sound of gunfire, followed by the sound of screaming and what sounded like skin being sliced apart. Suddenly she saw people dressed up in all black attire the bottom of their faces covered and only their eyes visible, they looked like ninjas, nges to fit but she knew exactly who these guys were.

"The league of Shadows?"

A lady stepped in front of the assassins, this woman dressed like a cop, but for some reason she wasn't attacking the assassins, or trying to fend them off. She stopped by Harley's cell, and taking out a key she unlocked it.

"Today's your lucky day Harley, your getting out."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Talia Al Ghul. Daughter of the demons head. And we have plans for you."

The last thing Harley was a black bag being placed over her head before a blow to her head knocked her out.

_Present time. _

Outside the old Wayne Enterprise tech lab, Batgirl stared through a pair of binoculars as she studied the area. The front entrance was guarded by five league of assassin members. Hugo obviously didn't want any interruptions from Batgirl. Or maybe Hugo did want Batgirl to take out the assassins to see how tough she was. Regardless those assassins stood between her and he friend and nothing was going stop her from reaching her.

Shooting out her grappling hook Batgirl glided over to where the assassins stood, threw a batarange while in midair and watched as it struck a assassin in the face. As the first assassin laid on the ground stunned the other four assassins reached for their swords. Batgirl grabbed the first assassins sword, wrestled it out of her hand and struck the back in over the assassins head. She then dodged as another assassin swung her sword at her, the sword missed Batgirl but sliced another assassin in the arm that was caught in the crosshairs. Batgirl grabbed the assassin by the waist, lifted him over his head and slammed him on top of another assassin knocking them both to the ground. Batgirl then jumped in the air and kicked the assassin on top in the face knocking them both out. Batgirl then tackled the final assassin to the ground, grabbed her by the leg and snapped her leg, breaking it. She then knocked her over the back of the head with her elbow.

With the final assassin taken care of Batgirl kicked down the door to the tech lab and stormed inside. She knew Hugo was in there, as well as Harley. And nothing was going to stop her from reaching her friend and ending Hugo's plans once and for all.

The room was pitch dark, Batgirl had to activate her night vision goggles in her cowl just to see anything. There was nothing but silence for the longest, then she saw the bright lights of a projector screen turn on in front of her. Batgirl froze in horror as the projector showed Harley strapped to a stretcher by Hugo Strange, Hugo had a syringe in his hand and was pacing around Harley like a wolf circling it's prey.

"Who is the Batgirl Ms. Quinzel?" ,

"Go to Hell Strange, I ain't telling you nothing." Harley snapped back "You shouldn't even be back here you got fired. You were insane."

"I'm not the insane one Ms. Quinzel, you are. Isn't that why you are locked up in here?"

"Once the guards find you, you'll be in a cell of your own."

"Why did you help the Batgirl defeat the Joker Quinzel?" Hugo continued ignoring Harley's words. "After all you was the one that freed him, took pity on him, fell in _love _with him. Why the sudden turn?"

"He was insane."

"You knew that when you freed him yet you did it anyway, even killed fo him. You knew who Batgirl was didn't you? She was a friend wasn't she, someone you loved and cared deeply for? That's why you freed her wasn't it? That's why you suddenly switched sides on a dime."

"I'm not telling you anything," Harley seethed, fear suddenly starting to control her as she struggled to get out of her bonds.

"I have finally perfected the formula Quinzel, the one that will turn the most ruthless of villains into mindless monsters controlled only by me. Do you know how it feels to slowly feel your muscles mutate and transform you into a mindless monster? Why don't you have a little sample of it and find out?"

Batgirls eyes went wide in horror as she watched Hugo inject Harley with the formula. Harley screamed in agony as she felt her inside burning, her body twisted and turned trying to reject the formula. Hugo just stood over her calm, void of any emotion.

"Who is the Batgirl Harley? I can inject you with the antidote, your suffering can stop right now if you give me her name. Who is the Batgirl?"

Harley screamed once more, she felt her muscles start to mutate, with tears streaming down her face she gave in. "Barbara Gordon!"

Hugo instantly injected Harley with the antidote. After a couple seconds her body went back to normal. Realizing what she just did Harley started sobbing, as Hugo lowered himself to ear level.

"Thanks for your insistence Miss Quinzel."

Hugo then left, leaving Harley to sob as the screen went black.

"How Does its feel Miss Gordon?" Hugo's voice suddenly echoed through the room. The lights came on you and Batgirl gasped as she saw Harley sitting in the middle of the room, tied to a chair with Hugo standing over her, a syringe in hand. "To be betrayed not once but twice by a girl who you considered a friend?"

"I'm sorry Babs I didn't want to, you got to believe me. He forced me to do it."

"Let her go Hugo," Batgirl growled.

"What is it about Miss Quinzel that makes you so d esperate to protect her? She's a criminal after all, a murderer. She killed your other friend, and tried to kill you. She's no better then the other scum that plague this city."

"I said let her go!"

"Yet she still remains your weakness. Despite everything she did to you, betraying your friendship, paralyzing you, you still go out of your way to ensure her safety.

Batgirl took out a batarange and was about to throw it at Hugo when she felt the tip of a sword poke against her spine.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you?"

Batgirl turned around and her eyes went wide with shock. "Officer Tate?"

"Al Ghul, Talia Al Ghul. Daughter of the Demons head."

"You went out of your way to protect your traitorous friend Miss Gordon, that you turned your back on the ones actually trying to help you. Ones like the Robin. If you let him in he would have tipped you off about Officer Tate behind you, but you had to cut off almost everyone in your life. Wallowing in your own self pity."

"Your nothing like my beloved Bruce," Talia replied "You're a disgrace to the cowl."

Angry Batgirl grabbed the blade behind her and knocked it out of her hand. She then flipped Talia over her shoulders and pinned her to the ground. She was about to lay a fist to Talia when Hugo spoke up.

"I wouldn't make another move if I was you Gordon." Batgirl turned around and saw the tip of the Syringe pressed to Harley's neck. Hugo's thumb was raised ready to inject the formula. "One more move and Harley becomes the next monster. You can still save her though, take her place, sacrifice yourself for her, become my next mutant, the leader of my monster army."

"Babs, don't do it!" Harley pleaded. "Not for me."

"It's the only way to save her Gordon, who's it going to be, you or her?"

Batgirl lowered her head and sighed. "Hugo, stop, I'll do it."

"Barbara?" Harley gasped

"I made a promise to Sarah to save you. And I'm going to keep it."

"Just like Bruce, taking pity on the scum." Hugo laughed. Talia then kicked Batgirl off of her and knocked her to the ground. Talia then lifted Batgirl up and led her to a gurney where Hugo strapped Batgirl in to where she couldn't get out.

"You will be my masterpiece," Hugo laughed.

"Hugo, when I get out of here, I'm gonna use your head as a, bowling ball."

"Overconfidence is your downfall Miss Gordon. There is no getting out of this for you." Hugo pressed the tip of the needle to Batgirl's sleeve, he was about to inject the formula when he heard a crash coming from the window. Robin came crashing in along with Catwoman.

"We meet again Hugo." Catwoman hissed.

"Ms. Kyle." Hugo growled "You treacherous cat."

"Mind if I drop in," Robin laughed as he tossed a shuriken, slicing Batgirls binds and freeing her. Batgirl instantly wrestled the syringe out of Hugo's hands and delivered a blow to the head.

"What was that you were saying Hugo?" To Batgirl's surprise Hugo just laughed.

"Oh Miss Gordon. You think I wouldn't have a backup plan in place against you?" Hugo pointed upwards and Batgirls eyes went wide as she aw dozens of Monsters dangling from cages above her. "You got lucky with one, let's see how you fair against a whole army!

Hugo pressed a button and the bottom of the cages opened, the monsters instantly surrounded the masked crimefighters as Hugo barked his orders.

"Kill them all."

"Batgirl I suggest we get out of here," Robin applied.

"Not without Harley." Batgirl tossed a batarange in one monster's eye then made a dash for Harley. The monsters lunged for her but Robin stabbed one of them in the back before turning to fight off another one.

"Whatever your doing do it fast!" Robin ordered. "There's to many of them."

Batgirl ran to where Harley was tied and started undoing her binds. "Your really not going to leave me are you?"

"Never!"

Harley smiled as Batgirl took her hand, the first time since her actually feeling her hands. Once Robin and Catwoman saw Batgirl had freed Harley they all dropped a smoke pellet, blinding the monsters long enough to flee. Once the smoke settled. Harley along with the masked crime fighters, were gone.

"Find them!" Hugo roared, "and kill them all."


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry it's been a while since my last update. I've been busy with some other thi****ngs lately. But I'm back now so hopefully this was worth the wait. **

"I can't believe Talia was in on the whole thing." Batgirl sat in a chair in her living room, analyzing all just happened. Strange had tortured Harley into spilling the beans on her secret identity, she was rescued by the people she had tried to push away, and Talia was working with Ra's the whole time, not only that was his _daughter. _

"We should have known,"Robin replied, "We should have all known. A little more investigating and we would have known she was Ra's daughter all along."

"Instead we let her play us all," Batgirl picked up a batarange and in anger she threw it across the room into the dining room where it got stuck into a wall.

"Talia was the one who broke me out of prison," Harley replied finally speaking up, she had been silent ever since escaping Hugo's lair. Staring at the floor in silence as she sat on Barbara's sofa. "She was the one that got all those prisoners out for Strange to experiment on."

"Well the good news is, now that her secret is out, we can let the cops in about Talia's alliance and take her down." Catwoman replied, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

"If Talia is Ra's Al Ghul's daughter, she will probably be just as trained as the rest of the league." Robin responded "Arresting her won't be as easy as you wish."

"Harley when Hugo tortured you with the mutagen he used a cure on you after you gave him my identity. Do you by any chance know what that cure was?"

"No, I wish I knew the cure so we could reverse what has been done to those people, but I just don't know. I'm sorry Babs."

"I bet I know where we could get the cure from?" Catwoman spoke up. "Talia was always a rival for Batman's affection. The Dark knight always had a thing for bad girls. Why? I'm not sure, you would think a masked hero would go for the little miss perfects of the world, but not Batman.

"Where are you going with this?" Robin asked.

"My point is that just like me, Talia has feelings for the Dark Knight, and if you want to get that cure you are going to have to get it from her, and use her feelings for Batman as leverage."

"Your assuming that we catch her first." Robin added.

"There's three of us and one of her, all we have to do is catch her off guard." Catwoman replied.

Robin turned to Batgirl "I know you haven't trusted us, but if we are to stop Hugo and Ra's we have to work together, give us a chance, this one time. We can still win this, together, as a team."

Batgirl sighed and stared at the ground. "When I started this crusade I did it alone, I never wanted a team, mainly because I was afraid if I let anyone else get involved in my crusade that they would get hurt. I have nearly died on multiple occasions, and lost a really good friend of mine because of my attempts to go at this alone. I was stubborn, afraid, and I never got over my own guilt, and anger over the one person I cared about that I couldn't save. It was my guilt and fear of losing anyone else that caused me to push you away. I know now that if I'm truly going to heal and get past my own guilt that I need to start letting people in. It will take some time, but I can start with you."

Robin put a hand on Batgirl's shoulders. "We have all lost people Batgirl, it's how you honor their memory that matters, you can either dwell in your sorrow or honor them."

"Well I've done enough dwelling for a lifetime. It's time I truly honor her the right way." Batgirl reached out her hand for Robing to shake. "So Partners?"

Robin smiled and accepted the handshake "Partners, let's go stop a mad scientist Batgirl."

"It's Barbara,"

"Come again?"

Barbara removed her cowl. "Barbara Gordon, if we're going to work together we need to trust each other, and that includes with our secret identities too."

Robin smiled and removed his mask. "Tim Drake."

"Selina Kyle," Catwoman chimed in as well.

"Yeah I know, I read the police report," Batgirl responded before turning back to Robin "Also there is a few rules, first one is no killing."

"Won't be a problem."

"Second, no going behind each others back. We agree on how to handle a assignment together, no secrecy."

"Roger that."

"And lastly, tell my father my secret and I will ensure you never walk again."

Tim chuckled at that last part. "I think that won't be a problem."

"Alright then I think I have a plan to capture Talia, but it includes working with my father."

"You're the boss Barbara, whatever you say we will do."

"Call me Babs, that's what my friends call me."

"Okay then Babs."

Selina suddenly interrupted "Um I hate to be the one to break up a friendly chat but…" Selina pointed to Harley who was still on the couch "What are we to do with her?"

"Oh yeah," Robin realized "Technically she's a fugitive, but it's to dangerous to send her back to Arkham right now. Hugo will be looking for her."

"Don't worry I have this covered."

Alfred wasn't that thrilled about the idea of Harley taking refuge in the bat cave, mainly out of concern of her accidently discovering Batman's identity. But with Barbara taking her normal life car and having Tim, Selina, and Harley blindfolded Barbara was able to drive Harley to the Batcave without any danger of Batman's secret being exposed.

"Alfred will watch over you Harley," Barbara replied handing her over to Alfred. "He's former military, if anything happens he will keep you safe."

"You don't have to go through all this trouble for me Babs" Harley replied.

"It's my job, both as Batgirl and as your friend." Barbara then turned to Alfred "By the way Alfred did you get the prisoner transfer papers offline like I asked?"

"Right here Miss Gordon." Alfred replied "As well as documented statements that the prisoners never arrived. That will be all the proof your father needs of Talia's treachery"

Barbara then returned took the Batmobile and after parking her car in the cave, she had Tim and Selina hop in the Batmobile and drive towards GCPD, where Barbara knew her father would still be working.

Jim was looking through paper work when Batgirl and Robin swung through the open window. Jim turned at the sight of the two silhouettes behind him, turning around he jumped out of his seat at the sight of Batgirl and Robin standing behind him.

"Jesus Batgirl you nearly gave me a Goddamn heart attack." He then noticed Robin "I see you have your own Boy wonder, your becoming more and more like the Batman everyday."

Batgirl then handed Jim the papers she got from Alfred.

"What's this?"

"We know how Hugo got his hands on the prisoners he needed to make his monsters. Officer Tate orchestrated a secret breakout disguised as a prisoner transfer."

"What?" Jim gasped looking at the papers.

"Only instead of taking them to another prison, she took them to Strange where he used them to make his monsters. There's another thing you should know, Talia Tate is actually Talia Al Ghul, Ra's Al Ghul's daughter."

Jim growled and slammed the papers on his desk at the news. "I can't believe this, I fucking can't believe this. She was a mole this whole time. She was right under my nose and I didn't see it."

"None of us did, don't blame yourself, she fooled me too for a while."

"I want her brought in, NOW!"

Talia was currently staying at a one bedroom apartment in downtown Gotham. She definitely hated it compared to her normal home with the league of shadows. But as long as she was working with Hugo she had to keep up the act as a police officer. Which meant she had to go by Talia Tate, and pretend to be a police officer, and live in a small one bedroom apartment in the middle of Gotham. She was just hoping all of this ended soon so she could go back to her home with the league, and be out of this crap hole they called a apartment. Sadly it wasn't happening fast enough, there was still no word on the location of Batgirl or her allies, and as long as they were still out there, they were a threat to their plan.

She suddenly saw the flashing of police lights out her window. "Shit!" She gasped "They're on to me, Batgirl must have went to the…"

There was a bang at the door, and Commissioner Gordon's voice was heard yelling on the other end.

"Talia Al Ghul, you are surrounded, give yourself up."

Batgirl suddenly crashed through the window, causing Talia to draw her sword. "Fool, you'll never stop the league of shadows!"

Talia swung her sword but Batgirl quickly dodged it. Grabbing a sword hanging on Talia's wall she blocked Talia's blows. Talia swung her sword again, and Batgirl dodged out of the way, causing Talia to get her sword stuck in the wall. Batgirl knocked Talia to the wall, hoping to pin her down, but Talia swung her elbow knocking Batgirl in the chin, causing her to fall backwards Talia removed her sword from the wall and swung it forward again. Once again Batgirl dodged it, lowering herself just enough to avoid Talia's blade.

That is when Batgirl struck. Swinging her sword she scraped Talia's left leg, then tossing a batarange she hit Talia in the right leg. Talia seethed in pain and ran to the exit. Batgirl knew the batarange wouldn't stop her, it wasn't to, it was just to slow her down, and weaken her. Talia attempted to jump out her second apartment window, but with her wounded legs she instantly fell, where five other officers were there to arrest her.

"We got her Commissioner," Batgirl replied opening the apartment door. Jim walked to the window where he saw Talia being led away in handcuffs.

"Good, now let's see if we can make her talk."


	10. Chapter 10

"Babs are you sure about this?" Robin asked as he and Catwoman stared down one of Hugo's monsters roaming a dark ally.

"Listen, dad has Talia in custody and is about to question her as we speak. If we get her to give us the antidote than we can cure all these monsters and return them back to their normal selves without anymore bloodshed."

"That's a big IF though," Robin countered. "Talia is loyal to the league and to her father. You are betting all of this on the gamble that she will talk."

"Right now it's the best option we got. If we continue to try to fight these monsters the way we have it will eventually end with one if not all of us dying in the progress as well as countless of innocent victims."

"I would just rather be more comfortable facing one of these things again with a cure."

"Well to test if the cure does work we need to catch one of these things first don't we?"

"And what if this thing wakes up before you have the cure?"

"Improvise, you got the tranquilizer gun the Batwing dropped, use it and contain the monster until I return.

"And just where am I supposed to hold him?"

"Again improvise."

Batgirl then hung up as a frustrated Robin turned to Catwoman who stood with him on the roof. "You worked with the Batman, was he this stubborn?"

"Oh no he was worse, way worse. Be lucky Babs hasn't reached Batman level of stubborn yet."

"Let's just get this over with." Robin took out the tranquilizer gun and pointed it at the monster who was still slowly making his way down the alleyway. Staring through the scope he aimed it at the monster's back and fired, hitting him square between the shoulders, the monster, feeling the dart hit him turned around, looked at the two masked vigilante's and roared angrily.

"Um, Catwoman how long does it take for the medicine to take affect?" Robin asked nervously as the monster charged.

"Not fast enough, stand your ground!" Catwoman took out her whip and Robin took out his staff, ready to fend off the beast until the medicine took effect. The monster leaped up onto the rooftop and Robin threw two Shurikins that hit him in the shoulder and side, digging into the monster's skin. The monster roared and ripped them out before lunging at Robin. Robin held out his staff horizontally in self defense and the monster tackled him. Holding out his staff in the monsters teeth, he was able to block the monster from biting into him.

"Come on, go to sleep dammit go to sleep." The monster raised his right hand ready to deal a fatal blow when Catwoman struck the monster's hand with her wrap.

"Get back!" Catwoman struck the monster again and again, causing the monster to back away. That only worked for so long however as the monster grabbed the whip and swung Catwoman into Robin knocking them both off the roof. Catwoman was able to quickly grab Robin with one arm and swing them to safety with her other using her whip.

The monster jumped off the roof and stared down at the two vigilante's as they landed softly on the ground. He prepped himself for another attack before he felt himself getting dizzy. Grabbing his head he fell to his knees and then fell face forward, passing out, the drug taking effect.

Robin and Catwoman walked up to the sleeping monster, both wondering what they were going to do with him now.

"Let's just hope the drug lasts until Babs comes back with the cure," Catwoman replied, "otherwise we might not get so lucky next time"

Inside the G.C.P.D Talia sat in silence, staring at the wall with no trace of emotion as she waited for her interrogation. She wasn't afraid or intimidated, she was a warrior, a assassin, a member of the league of shadows. There was nothing the GCPD could do to scare a woman of Talia's nature. So she just waited, calmly as the minutes went by until her interrogation arrived.

Jim was the one that that walked in, and Talia greeted him with a very mocking smile.

"Why hello Jim, I do hope there is no hard feelings against us? I do respect you as a cop."

"You insult my unit and the uniform that you wear," Jim spat back. "You are not a cop, you are a assassin, a terrorist, a criminal."

"To be fair the whole undercover as a cop thing was not my idea," Talia replied, "I wanted nothing to do with your stupid unit, that was father's idea. And his will gets done.

Jim didn't respond as he took out pictures of every crime scene that was home to the murders the monsters had committed. "You see these Talia? These were all that was left of the victims that those creations you took a part of left. Victims decapitated, torn to shreds partially eaten. Several of these victims were innocent people that just happened to be in the wrong place at the time. These things are going to kill thousands more unless you tell me the antidote to change these things back now!"

Talia just remained unmoved then she placed her cuffed wrists on the table and her face inched closer to Jim as she leaned over the table, staring at him with a very intimidating look.

"You want to know something Jim? These cuffs you hold me in, I could very, _very _easily break out of them. I am a assassin, I know all the tricks to get out of these things. You know why I am not breaking out of these things and murdering you where you sit? It's because I know that no matter how hard you try, you aren't getting anything out of me. Deep down you know it too. Everybody on the outside they are all going to die, those monsters will wipe this city clean of crime in ways Batman and Batgirl never could and nobody, not you, not Batgirl, not anybody will stand in their way. You want to save innocent lives Commissioner? Better get all the innocent civilians on a bus out of Gotham cause once those beast are fully let lose, Gotham is going to hell!"

Jim knew he was not going to get anywhere with Talia, luckily he knew someone who could.

"Well if we are going to play games Talia, I am going to bring in a new player," Jim walked out, and Talia just chuckled.

"You will not get me to crack Jim."

"We'll see about that."

Batgirl walked in next, and despite her intimidating look Talia remained unmoved. "You won't hurt me Batgirl, my pain tolerance ranks higher then most military generals."

"I don't need to hurt you to get what I want." Batgirl grinned. "Because I know your weakness."

"Oh really," Talia replied unmoved. "Which is?"

Batgirl walked up to Talia and bent down low enough to whisper in her ear. "Bruce Wayne."

Talia's eyes suddenly went wide and Batgirl grinned, she had her. "What do you know about Bruce?"

"I know you love him, you would love nothing more than to be with him and have him take your father's place in the league. But you never have been able to because of your loyalty to your father have you?"

"Do not pit me against Bruce and my father."

"I don't have to. You have done it yourself. It's always been a battle with you, Bruce or your father, You have always chosen your father and it has always kept you away from your beloved. But this is your chance Talia to finally make the right choice because believe it or not I don't think you are completely heartless. Help me stop this Talia, help me stop the senseless slaughter of thousands of innocence. Give me the antidote Talia, and I will tell Bruce that you helped me."

Talia was really fighting with herself, Barbara knew it was time to go for the kill. "You side with your father, you cause the death of thousands and you will kiss any chance of having a future with Bruce goodbye, he will never for forgive you for that deed." Batgirl slammed her palm on the table, and got in Talia's face. "What's it going to be Talia? Your father or your beloved? I am giving you a choice, I am begging you to help me stop this, do it for Bruce. What is your choice Talia?"

Talia sighed, and Barbara knew she won. "Fine, give me a sheet of paper." Batgirl signaled her father for a pen and paper, and when Jim delivered it Talia wrote down the antidote. Batgirl grabbed the paper when she was done and put it in her belt. She had what she needed, now she just needed to get it ready.

Batgirl turned to walk out but Talia halted her real quickly.

"You might stop the army Batgirl but you still won't be able to stop my father. Even Bruce was barely able to hold his own against him and he has many years on you. You will face off against him and you better pray your ready for him."

"No, he better pray he's ready for me." Batgirl then walked out leaving Talia to the cops.

"How did you make her crack?" Jim asked curious as Batgirl walked for the exits.

"The same way to get to every woman, through their heart."

Jim was going to ask more but Batgirl walked through the exit and grappled to the rooftops before he could open his mouth.

Batgirl called Alfred the second she landed on the roof. "Alfred I got the info, get me in contact with the head of Wayne Chemical science asap.

"Will do Ms. Wayne by the way Robin and tsss…" Suddenly Barbara's connection was interrupted by static and she heard what sounded like another voice trying to get in through another line.

"Alfred? Alfred are you there?

"Hello Miss Gordon!" Batgirl's eyes went wide when she heard who was on the other connection.

"Hugo Strange," Batgirl hissed.

"I must admit you are proving a very capable opponent." Hugo was sitting in a single chair in a dark room in his lair, a chess board placed out on the table in front of him as he taunted Batgirl through his own earpiece. "I only wish I had the opportunity to go up against the mighty Batman before he left Gotham. "

"You better be glad you didn't you'd already be in jail if you did."

"You shouldn't underestimate me like that Miss Gordon, after all you only caught one piece in this chest game you and I are playing, a knight. You think you have won by capturing Talia but all you have done is capture one piece. I still have a trick up my sleeve. I still know your secret identity."

Batgirl paused when she heard that.

"This is your one and only warning Miss Gordon, stop your pursuit now, and let the scum of this city get what they deserve, or I will release your secret to the world, and your crime fighting days will be over. "

Batgirl hissed, she knew Hugo wasn't joking, he was trying to trap her.

"I have made my move, I suggest you think about your next move very carefully. Your in Check Miss Gordan, better think hard about your next move. Good day Miss Gordon." Hugo cut off and Batgirl stared at the night time lights as they lit up the city. Hugo had her in check mate. If she pursued Hugo her identity was exposed, if she didn't pursue thousands of people would die and her reputation was tarnished. Either way, she lost.

Batgirl sighed, regardless of rather if it cost her identity saving the city was her priority. So taking out her grappling hook she swung towards the direction of Wayne Chemical science, she had to stop Hugo,

No matter what it cost her at the end.


	11. Chapter 11

At Wayne Enterprise's Chemical lab a skeleton Crew was just on the verge of locking up for the day when Batgirl flew in through a open window. Wayne's chemical lab department was used mainly for medical purposes such as trying to find cures for many different disease and illnesses, which made them the perfect people for the job Batgirl needed done.

Needless to say everyone was both scared and shocked when Batgirl came flying in to the lab.

"Batgirl what are you doing here?" A lady scientist asked

Batgirl looked at the woman's name tag and saw her name was Dr. Jane Simpson. "I need your help Dr. Simpson" Batgirl then handed a list of the chemicals used to make the cure for the monsters. "You know the monsters that have been running rapidly throughout Gotham? I believe I might have a cure, but I need your team to make it, there is not much time."

"We might be able to get this done but it might take a little bit of time," Dr. Simpson replied looking through the list "How much do you need?"

"Enough to stop a whole army of monsters so as much as you can possibly make."

"We will see what we can do," Dr. Simpson then turned to the other scientists before they walked out the door. "Looks like we are not going home yet everyone, Batgirl needs us."

"I know it's a lot to ask but trust me I wouldn't be asking this of you if I wasn't desperate." Batgirl replied before flying out the window.

"Do you think Hugo Strange is serious in his threat?" Alfred asked when Barbara arrived back to the Batcave.

"I know a bluff when I see one," Barbara was sitting at the Bat computer her cowl off as they all waited to here a response from the Doctors at the chemistry lab. "And that was no bluff."

"What are you going to do?" Harley asked.

"I have to stop this, no matter what the cost."

"Babs if he exposes your identity it's over for you, nowhere you go will be safe. Every criminal in Gotham will be after you."

"I know Harley," Batgirl replied. "I know the consequences of what will happen. But I have no choice, if Hugo and Ra's releases those monsters thousands if not millions will die."

"You don't have to be the one to stop him." Harley pleaded, kneeling down to eye level and putting her palm to Barbara's cheeks as she looked her in the eyes. "Let Robin take on Strange, or Catwoman. Call in Batman, the Justice League anyone. Just don't let it be you."

"I can't run away from this." Barbara replied. "What type of hero would I be if I ran from something like this. A hero has to be selfless, willing to sacrifice everything in order to save those in need. No matter what it costs them."

"But Babs, if you go through with this, you will never be able to put the cowl on again. You will forever have a target on your back because the whole world will know who you are. There will be no coming back from this."

Barbara sighed knowing that was indeed true. "If that is the case, and this is my last mission. Than so be it."

"You'll be on the run, a outcast, a fugitive."

"I got to do this."

"Gotham will not be safe without you."

"Gotham won't be safe if I don't do this."

"But I can't lose another friend, I can't lose you."

Harley was in tears by now, and this time it was Barbara who put her hands on Harley's cheeks. "No matter what happens, no matter how this ends, you will never lose me. That I can promise."

Barbara suddenly heard a ringing sound coming from her cowl. Walking up to the table wear her cowl laid she noticed a call was coming in. Putting her cowl on she pressed the button right behind the right bat ear and noticed it was Dr. Simpson.

"We got the antidote ready, come buy as soon as you can."

"On my way right now." Barbara then called Robin and Catwoman. "Tim we have the antidote bring the monster to Wayne Chemicals at once."

Transporting the beast was not the easiest thing in the world. Robin and Catwoman kept the beast in a cage on the outer city limits as far from civilization as possible. Batgirl had to send the Batwing in order to lift the cage and carry it and the monster to the rooftop of Wayne Chemicals.

Dr. Simpson and her entire crew was waiting for her when they got their. All the scientist gasped in fear when they saw the monster with their own eyes for the first time.

"I can see now why you are so desperate for this antidote," Dr. Simpson replied handing Batgirl a tranquilizer gun armed with a small syringe with the antidote inside. "One shot from the syringe should be all it takes to cure that thing and return him back to his normal self."

"Here goes nothing," Batgirl replied taking the tranquilizer gun and pointing it at the beast. She quickly fired the shot and the syringe struck the beast in the shoulder. With a howl in pain the monster's body shook and he fell to the ground. Everyone watched on horrified as the monster's body twisted and turned, his joints dislocating as the beast soon turned back to human again. The man only wore a ripped pair of shorts as he curled into a ball and started shivering. The cure had worked.

"Where am I?" The man replied terrified.

"Do you remember anything that has happened since you was abducted by Strange?" Robin asked

"I remember being experimented on, that psycho injected me with some sort of chemicals, so painful. I thought I was on fire but my skin was not burning."

"Do you remember anything after that?" Batgirl pushed on.

"I remember…." The guy struggled to speak, his eyes getting filled with tears as he struggled to say the next part. "I remember killing people, I remember going to a gas station and slaughtering this man, decapitating him with a car door. I then remember going inside the gas station and killing two more people before killing the lady in the bathroom by snapping her neck. I didn't want to do that but I was not in control of my actions, you got to believe me. I did some messed up things that led to me being in Black gate but I was no murderer. "

"Do you believe him?" Catwoman asked Batgirl.

"I believe I do." Batwoman knelt down and reached her arm through the gate and placed her hand on the guy's shoulders. "It's okay now, you are going to be okay I am going to get you some help."

"Okay? How can I be okay?" The man wept "I killed people, and I couldn't stop it."

"We are going to get you the therapy you need, trust me." Batgirl turned to Robin, "Get this man to the hospital right away, he needs a doctor. I am going to get this antidote to my dad." Dr. Simpson handed Batgirl two briefcases filled with the rest of the antidote. Setting them gently into the Batwing Batgirl flew towards the GCPD where she aimed to arm the police with the weapon that would put a end to these monsters permanently.

At Hugo's lab news broke out of a cure for the monsters, Vickie Vale was interviewing Dr. Simpson about the cure that reversed the mutation done to the victims.

"Vickie Vale here with Dr. Jane Simpson of Wayne Chemicals, so tell me Dr. Simpson how were you able to create the antidote that reversed the mutation done to those victims."

"Well Batgirl gave me the list for the ingredients to the cure, I don't know how she got the ingredients, after that it all came down to making the antidote and making sure it worked, I know I was the one that made the stuff but I wouldn't of even known what to use if it wasn't for Batgirl, she's the real hero here."

Hugo threw the remote at the Television screen causing it to shatter as he slammed the palm of his hands on his desk, leaning over it deep in thought.

"Looks like your daughter is a squealer Ra's. I thought you would have taught your daughter better resistance and control."

"Or perhaps you underestimated your opponent," Ra's replied as he sharpened his sword. "I am fully aware of my daughters _one _weakness, a weakness you never took into the equation."

"We have put to much into this Ra's, a little show of concern for our work would be appreciated!"

"Hugo, let me let you in on a little secret. I knew of Barbara's identity long before Harley spilled the news to you. If you actually used that brain of yours you would have found it quite easy. Gordon get's framed for a crime, a Batgirl all of a sudden comes out of nowhere to clear his name. Some might find that a coincidence, but not me." Ra's slammed his sword into the wooden floor, causing it to stick into the floor as he continued. "I knew of Gordon's daughter, I knew that she was a huge Batman fan, and I also knew that all it would take was for one incident to draw her towards taking up the cowl."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the second I heard news of the Batgirl and how she cleared the good Commissioner's name that it was Barbara. It took you torturing her friend to realize it. I also know that no matter what happens tonight we have won. We both know who she is, and even if she cures every single one of our monsters we have leverage."

"Yes, once the world knows her secret…" Hugo started.

"There is nowhere she can hide." Ra's finished. "Release the monsters, let her cure them, no matter what happens the legend of the Batgirl ends tonight."

Hugo pressed a button and soon all the cages holding the monsters opened and the started walking towards the exits. "Go my army, and lay waist to this cursed city, level it so we can rebuild a new and better Gotham, one without crime, and one without masked heroes."

"Are you sure this will work?" Jim asked Batgirl as she showed him the antidote.

"We tested it out one of Hugo's test subjects themselves, it works."

"We finally have the upper hand for once."

"Not only that, we no longer have to kill these things, nobody else needs to die," Batgirl added

"I just hope we have enough," Robin replied as he loaded one into his gun.

Catwoman spotted something off the corner of her eyes, taking out a pair of binoculars her face soon went pale with fear. "Well we are about to know soon enough, they are here."

Everybody looked and saw hundreds, of monsters running towards Gotham. Batgirl, Robin, Catwoman, Jim, and the entire GCPD all quickly grabbed a gun and a syringe and readied themselves for the attack.

"This is it!" Jim cried "This is for Gotham!"


	12. Chapter 12

**I know this is a shorter chapter then most but with there about to be three separate battles back, to back, to back I felt they needed three separate chapters. **

**Anyway grab some popcorn and enjoy.**

Officers ran outside with riot shields to fend off the incoming hoard of monsters

"Try to hold them within this area," Jim ordered. "If they break loose and spread out there is no telling if we ever catch them all."

"That is not going to happen," Batgirl loaded her tranquilizer gun. "Try to build a barricade around the GCPD to block them in, then hit them with all you got, but whatever you do don't kill. There is still humans inside there, and criminals or not they need saving."

"You heard Batgirl put up a barricade now!" Several officers pulled their cars up and formed a line blocking the road and bridge that separated GCDP from the rest of Gotham. Catwoman loaded her tranquilizer next knowing that barricade was not going to hold long, she just hoped it would be enough to take out a large number of those things before they did any massive damage. Loading the antidote in the gun she laid on her stomach and looked through the scope like a sniper, readying herself for the moment one of those things made their move.

Not a word was spoke as the monsters walked toward where the barricade of cars stood, Robin loaded his weapon as well as Jim, the other officers did the same. As the monsters neared the edge of the bridge they stopped and stared at the barricade ahead of them. For several seconds nothing happened as they stared at the barricade, which made the officers as well as the masked vigilante's even more antsy and nervous. Then with a growl the monsters stormed the barricades, Batgirl fired off the first shot and everyone else followed suit.

Batgirl fired a dart right into the shoulder of one of the monsters, he screamed as he fell, slowly transforming back into the human he was before, curling up into a ball in the middle of the road and shivering in fear.

From above Catwoman had the perfect advantage, as several of the monsters battled the police, she lined up her shot, usually hitting them in the shoulder, arm or leg and watched as they fell and transformed back into their old self. "This is for all the favors you made me run Hugo."

Robin battled on the ground, using his staff to knock several of the monsters back before firing his weapon.

"I don't think we are going to be able to hold every single one of them back," Robin pointed out as he soon found himself surrounded. Having no choice he had to grapple to the rooftop to avoid getting ripped to shred by the monsters.

"We have no choice, if we let these things into the city there is no telling how much damage will happen." Batgirl replied as she shot another syringe filled with the antidote into the arm of a monster. "We have to keep the battle here it's the only way."

"You heard Batgirl, keep holding strong!" Jim had all his men aim their weapons at once, then on his command they all fired at once taking down several of the monsters on the front line.

"Reload, reload." Jim and the rest of GCPD all shielded themselves behind their cars as they worked to reload, only problem was the monsters took that time to strike, they jumped over the police cars and started attacking the officers. Batgirl and Robin quickly fired there weapons, hitting two of them and causing the others to run towards the city. Batgirl bent down to check on her father, who had a few scratches and bruises but other than that okay.

"How are you?"

"I'll live" Jim replied, "But we just got ourselves a bigger problem."

Batgirl got up and saw it, the monsters had reached downtown, and they were attacking everyone. Smashing through car windows and dragging out terrified citizens, running into businesses. There was nowhere for people to hide.

"What's the plan now Batgirl?" Jim asked

"Stop them," Batgirl growled. Batgirl grappled to a high tower, then looking through her scope she fired another shot, striking a monster in the back just as it had a family pinned in the corner of a ally way. The family watched horrified as the monster screamed and laid on the floor as it transformed back to human.

"Miss Gordon they are everywhere," Alfred replied over his earpiece, "they're not stopping!"

"That's because they are programmed for one thing, to kill."

"My God, I hope you have a new battle plan, because this current one just isn't working, no offense by the way."

"None taken," Batgirl replied, Batgirl looked down and saw a manhole in the middle of a road and she then got a new idea. "Alfred, you remember nine years ago when the Scarecrow sent his fear toxin throw the water system and basically filled all of Gotham in fear gas."

"How can I forget, it was quite the ordeal?"

"Well what if we do the same with the antidote, we can reduce it to gas and send it throw the water systems, everybody infected will inhale it and that should cure them."

"But to do that you would have to make a bomb Miss Gordan!"

"I know Alfred."

"But the damage something like that could cause?"

"I'm asking for you to trust me." Batgirl then called her father. "Commissioner, I got a plan to stop all of these things, I need you to fend them off until then."

"I will do what I can, but whatever you are doing it better work, for Gotham's sake."

"Trust me I hope it works too."

Catwoman saw a monster climbing up the wall of a tall hotel tower. Using the claws on her gloves and boots she climbed up as fast as she could after him. The monster smashed through the window at the top floor and climbed inside.

"No," Catwoman gasped, she didn't have much time. That monster was going to kill whoever was in that room. Grabbing her whip, she tossed it up to the broken window and swung in. When she got inside she saw a guy laying on the floor begging for his life. Taking out her gun she shot the antidote into the monster's arm, the monster instantly fell to the ground and transformed back into human.

"Thank you," the intended victim replied realizing the threat has passed. Catwoman just as she jumped back out the window to the ongoing battlefield outside

Later on as Catwoman, Robin, and the police continued to fend off the monsters Batgirl was down below with the homemade bomb. Alfred was still unsure about the idea considering the extreme risks that came with it.

"Just to let you know you are using one of master Bruce's favorite crockpots." The bomb was made inside a crockpot, with hot water dissolving the antidote into gas. The crockpot was stuck to a wall with wires and explosive gel.

"Well remind me to buy him a new one after this."

"Need me to remind you one more time the extreme risks you are taking here, if this gets out of hand you could end up killing more people then those monsters.

"The explosion is twenty meters underground in the Gotham City sewers Alfred. The explosion will be just big enough to send the antidote into the air. Any structures should be safe from damage."

"I hope your right for Gotham's sake."

"I hope I am to." Batgirl started the timer on the bomb for five minutes. She then grappled up to a man hole and back above surface, where her father was taking shelter behind his police car.

"So what are you going to do?"

"You will see in just a couple minutes,"

"Well I hope it works, we can't fend them off much longer."

"Trust me it will," she then mumbled under her breath where her father couldn't here her "I hope."

Soon everyone heard a small boom, causing everyone including the monsters to stop in their tracks.

"What was that?" Jim asked. Suddenly green gas came out from the sewers, the monsters soon began coughing and falling to their knees. Then within just a couple of minutes every monster was reduced back into their human form, most of them laying on the ground passed out or shaking in fear.

"What the tarnation?" Jim asked.

"I sort of borrowed from the scarecrow his trick and made a small explosive underground to send the antidote through the monster's system."

"You are a clever girl Batgirl." Jim turned to face his men who all had their weapons pointed at the former monsters. "All right let's get these guys off the streets and into police custody, they are still current inmates." Jim turned to say something to Batgirl but she was already gone, leaving nothing but the wind in her place.

"Just like the Batman,"

Batgirl had no time to chat, the monsters might have been taken care of but the two main men responsible for them was still at large, Hugo and Ra's al Ghul. She knew this would only be a minor setback and they would create more of those things unless she brought them both in. Stopping half a mile away from Hugo's leir she took out her binocular's stared at Hugo's leir and gave a wicked grin.

"I'm coming for you Hugo."

**Next chapter Hugo Strange VS Batgirl, don't miss it. **


	13. Chapter 13

**We are getting so close to the end. Only two more chapters after this one and we will be done. These last three chapters will basically set things up for the fourth story as Barbara's life will never be the same after the conclusion of these final three chapters. **

Hugo watched as Vicky Vale reported about the attack on Gotham being stopped by Batgirl.

"Thanks to Batgirl no deaths or serious injuries have been reported. To Batgirl I speak for all of us when I say we owe you our lives."

"Such a pity," Strange replied shaking his head at the news, "I was really hoping it didn't come to this." Hugo walked over to his computer and taking out the flash drive with the evidence of Batgirl's identity he downloaded the file to the computer before sending the evidence to every major news station in Gotham. "Let's see how loyal this city is to you when they know your secret Miss Gordon?"

It was right then that a batarange flew out and struck Hugo in the shoulder causing him to holler out in pain as he grasped his shoulder. Batgirl stepped out of the shadows holding another Batarange in her arms, ready to use it if Hugo made any suspicious moves. "It's over Hugo, stand down!"

Hugo just chuckled as he pulled out the batarange and tossed it to the floor, he then walked over to a table where a chess board laid and was sat up for use. "You know what is so great about the game of chess Miss Gordon? It's a game of strategy, each type of piece moves in a different way as they all work to beat their opponent. As each side moves a piece the other side must think thoroughly about their next move if they want to avoid losing. Some of the best chess players think several moves ahead having several different strategies in place depending on where their opponent moves. Each side will lose pieces along the way, but for the winner all those pieces will go down as a sacrifice for the ultimate prize while the loser…" Hugo moved the white pieces around where they surrounded the black King "Is left in check mate."

"I hate to break it to you Hugo, but the one in check mate is you," Batgirl growled "Look outside Hugo, your invasion is over, your monsters have been defeated, you have lost."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Hugo replied "See unlike you I have been planning several moves ahead." Hugo took out a syringe and injected himself with the mutation, Batgirl's eyes widened as she watched Hugo scream and shake his body growing to double it's size as he himself became a monster.

"Your in check again Batgirl, what's your move now?" Hugo roared as he swung his now monstrous size hand slamming Batgirl against a wall. "I am going to rip you apart, piece by bloody piece, and leave your severed head on the GCPD doorstep."

"You can try," Batgirl growled as she picked herself up off the floor." She then threw another batarange at Hugo striking him in the chest. Hugo instantly ripped it out and crushed it with his bare hands.

"Haven't you learned by now that your little gadgets are useless?" Hugo then grabbed Batgirl and slammed her through the floor, she went crashing into the lair basement, moaning as she found herself slow to get up.

"What's the matter Miss Gordon? Out of your antidote?" Hugo laughed "You may be tech smart, but your biggest flaw has always been strategizing. You've only made it this far because you had yet to go up against a foe who had the brains to learn your every strength, your every weakness, and who had the ability to learn who you really was behind that mask."

Batgirl had to get away, she did have one syringe left but she needed a clear shot, something she didn't have at the moment. She only had one left however, so she had to make sure she made it count. Taking out a couple of smoke pellets she tossed them to the ground as she fled, temporarily blinding Hugo.

"Running away," Hugo chuckled, "How predictable."

As the smoke filled the room Batgirl quickly grappled through the hole that she fell through and up to the top floor. She didn't predict Hugo seeing her silhouette through the smoke however until she felt a massive punch to her gut sending her through the wall.

"Pathetic Batgirl," Hugo scoffed as he walked slowly to where Batgirl laid. Batgirl wheezed and coughed as she struggled to get herself up. "All these years you have worked alone, but now when you have been presented with a actual threat you had to run for help with not one, but two other masked vigilantes. You never were worthy of the mask you wear."

In this form Hugo was to powerful to handle up close, she needled a advantage point, somewhere she could strike without being in striking distance herself. Taking out her grappling hook she grappled to the roof top and searched for a place to take shelter behind while she planned her own at attack. Finding a Air condition box, she hid behind it and waited, taking out her tranquilizer gun and put the antidote in. Now she just waited, Hugo thought he had the upper hand, he was wrong. It was now time for her to put the odds in her favor.

Batgirl waited as she heard the booming sound of Hugo's steps making their way up the stairs, crouching as low as she could she waited until she saw the shadow of Hugo Strange and then his whole self appear at the rooftop of his lair.

"Where are you hiding Miss Gordon? You can't hide from me forever? You have lost, there is no way you can end this night victorious this time."

"I wouldn't be so certain about that!" Suddenly Batgirl shot out from behind her hiding place and shot the antidote into his chest. Hugo screamed as his body suddenly started jerking and shaking, he fell to his knees as shrunk back to his normal size.

Now it was Batgirl's turn to be the aggressor, running up to Hugo she delivered a punishing blow to his gut, knocking the wind out of him before she delivered a uppercut to his chin with her left fist, knocking him a couple inches in the air before she delivered her right elbow into his face, slamming him into the hard ground hard onto his back.

She then picked him up by the collar and holding him tight to her chest she jumped off the roof and crashed them both through his lair window. She tossed Hugo into a table and handcuffed him to a table leg ensuring he wouldn't move.

"As I said Hugo, it's over!"

To her Surprise Hugo just chuckled. "Remember what I said about how I have been planning several I moves ahead of you? There was always a chance you would defeat my monsters, and there was always a chance you would overpower and capture me, that is why I always plan my next moves in advance. You might recall a certain warning I gave you earlier Miss Gordon about what would happen if you intervened, I gave you the chance to stand down and preserve your precious identity, but you just had to be to stubborn to listen. When the news reported about you stopping my monsters, I sent the news a little bit of a care package with all the proof of your secret identity.

"No?" Batgirl gasped

"I believe by now, they have the evidence and are reporting it for all of Gotham to see."

Batgirl quickly grabbed a remote and turned on the TV hanging from the ceiling. She took several steps back when she saw a picture of her in her apartment in her outfit, she was taking off the cowl but her face was fully visible and noticeable in her bedroom mirror.

"Breaking news as mounds of evidence has leaked out unveiling Batgirl's secret identity as none other than Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Police Commissioner Jim Gordon.

"How did you…?" Batgirl asked turning to face Hugo.

"When Harley spilled your secret out to me I had Talia follow you in secret back to your apartment, then as soon you took off your cowl Talia shot several photos and returned the evidence to me. I figured you would be to stubborn to know when to quit and so I held on to them until you ruined my master plan. You destroyed my dream Barbara, and now in return I have destroyed your life. How long until the city turns on you now that they know who you are? How long until your father is forced to resign since his daughter took the law into her own hands by becoming a outlaw vigilante? How long until the scum of this city targets you and everyone you love?"

Suddenly Batgirl snapped, Hugo unmasking her put a target on the backs of everyone she ever cared about, in a fit of rage she through a batarange right at Hugo, and it hit him square in the heart.

Batgirl gasped when she realied what she had just done. As Hugo coughed up blood, his life draining from him he smiled at Barbara one last time, "Congratulations Miss Gordon, you have became the thing you hate the most, check mate." With that Hugo died and Barbara fell to her knees and wept over what she just did.

Her tears didn't last long however as she soon got a call from her cowl earpiece, it was from Alfred and he was in a fit of panic.

"Miss Gordon you got to return to the Batcave quick! Ra's is here and he's going to….." Suddenly the reception went static.

"Alfred? Alfred!"

Suddenly Ra's voice could be heard on the other line. "Hello Miss Gordon, you and I have some unfinished business to attend to, return to your cave, face me in a battle to death, or your most loyal ally, and best friend dies where they lay!" Suddenly a text came in on Barbara's phone she gasped as she saw Alfred and Harley laying on the ground unconscious.

"Meet me back in the cave Barbara, you got one hour."

With that Ra's hung up and soon Barbara's tears turned into ones of anger. Her life may be over, but she still had one last mission to do, she had to save her friends, and she had to stop Ra's. Whatever it took.

**Oh shit these last two chapters are going to be epic, you don't want to miss them.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Final battle let's go. **

_One hour earlier_

While Batgirl and the police was busy fighting off Hugo's army of monsters Ra's made his way towards the batcave. Ra's wasn't one hundred percent sold on Hugo's plan working, Bruce had defeated his entire army more than once by himself and even if Barbara was half as good as Bruce than with the GCPD at her side she would surely overcome this obstacle.

Not that he needed the monsters to destroy Gotham for tonight to be a win, he just needed Barbara's secret to be exposed, which if tonight failed for Hugo, would come to light. For Ra's had tried for many years for Bruce to take over the league of shadows but to no avail, he was to strong willed for Ra's to get through to him, but Barbara was different, he saw vulnerability in her, weaknesses that Bruce never showed, and he could use it to his advantage, all he needed to do was get Barbara in the right situation.

But to do that he needed inside the Batcave, walking inside and drawing his sword he walked inside the dark dreary cave. He didn't see hardly anything as he made his way deep into the caves until he felt the presence of a shotgun barrel being pressed against the back of his head.

"You know, Batman may have a thing against guns but unlucky for you I don't have such rules. "

"Oh come on now Alfred," Ra's quickly pulled out a small dagger and before Alfred had the opportunity to pull his trigger Ra's ducked and slashed Alfred's lower leg causing him to drop his gun. "We both know your no match for me." Ra's struck Alfred hard across the face knocking him into the cave wall causing him to hit his head against the wall. Alfred fell to his knees his vision blurred.

"I'm not here to kill you Alfred, if all goes well nobody has to die tonight. But I can't let you interfere with what's about to go down tonight."

Ra's picked up the gun Alfred dropped and rammed the butt end of it over Alfred's head knocking him out. It was right then that Ra's felt a blow to the back of his head. Dazed for a couple seconds he rubbed the back of his head and turned to see Harley standing in front of him with her baseball bat.

"That was very good, I didn't sense you coming, you could make a good addition to my league of assassins."

"Sorry, my murdering days are over. But I sure as hell wouldn't mine beating your skull in till I see what your brains look like."

"That type of assassination would be deemed dishonorable, and by code of the league we fight with honor." Ra's took out his sword again and swung it, scraping Harley's arm enough to force her to drop her bat. "You are the type of scum that plague this great city, I should kill you for your crimes against the world."

Ra's grabbed Harley by the throat, lifting her off the ground and slamming her into the table. "But I'm not here for you, I'm here for Barbara."

"You leave my best friend alone you sick psycho."

"Oh trust me, I don't want to kill her, just recruit her, she will be my heir, at least if she wants your lives spared that she will be." Ra's then slammed the back of Harley's head into the table knocking her unconscious.

Two hostages, two very close friends of Barbara, and he would spare them on one condition, Barbara Gordon becomes the new Demon's head.

_Present time. _

Barbara drove her bike as fast as she could inside the Batcave. Ra's had found her hideout and was keeping Alfred and her friend hostage, she had to save them, even it was the last thing she did as Batgirl.

Walking inside the cave she saw Alfred and Harley still laying unconscious on the ground while Ra's stood over them with sword in hand.

"No need for that cowl Miss Gordon I know who you are."

Slowly, Barbara removed her cowl and tossed it to the floor beside her.

"Now we see each other clearly."

"Let them go Ra's this does not concern them."

"Oh I have no intentions on harming them Gordon, in fact I don't want to harm you either."

"You have a funny way of showing it."

"Miss Gordon I have been alive for well over six centuries, the effects of the Lazarus pit that has kept me alive for so long is starting to wear off on me. Soon I won't be able to use the pit anymore and my next death could be the final one. I wanted Bruce to take over as the Head of the demons even offering my daughter to him in marriage but he refused. Then when he left Gotham you showed up and took his place. I have been studying you Barbara, you hold so much potential by the way you took out Black Mask and the Joker. But I didn't know how good you really was until you stopped Hugo's monsters. I should be angry about that by the way, you stopped a perfect solution to the crime problem in Gotham."

"Murder is never the solution, _I am!" _

Ra's just pressed a button on the Bat Computer and the screen turned on to see a live news report on Hugo's death. Barbara's heart sank when she saw Hugo's body being wheeled out to the ambulance, the batarange still lodged in his heart.

"You got that murderer in you Barbara, you are nowhere near as stable as the dark knight. That lack on unstableness is what I need. You and I don't have to be enemies Miss Gordon. You and I both want to rid this world of crime."

"The problem is you want to save it by destroying it!"

"You can't rebuild without tearing down."

"I will never take your place."

"Oh but you will," Ra's said tossing Barbara a sword "because it's the only way to save your friends."

Ra's then lunged at Barbara forcing her to grab the sword tossed her way and use it to block Ra's attack.

"Strike me down! Take my place as the Demon's head it's the only way to save your friends!"

"Never!" Barbara pushed Ra's Al Ghul backwards but Ra's just charged at her again, swinging his sword and forcing Barbara to block his strikes with her own.

"You're a killer Miss Gordon, you struck Hugo down in cold blood. You did what was necessary and ended him before he could harm anyone ever again. Do it again, strike me down, prove that you savior this world needs!"

Barbara pushed Ra's away again and kicked him in the chest causing him to fall several feet backwards. She then took out three bataranges and tossed them in Ra's direction but he blocked each one with his sword.

"It's time to put these childish toys away Batgirl, the world knows your secret, and the world knows you have killed. There is no reason for that outfit you wear anymore. Soon the cops will be coming after you for murder, and the criminals that run this city will be coming after everyone you care about. I don't need to kill your friends Miss Gordon, cause the real criminals that run this city will, Alfred, Harley, your father, they all have a price on their heads, and it won't be long until someone takes them out."

Ra's words was getting to her, the more that Ra's mentioned about her friends and family being in danger because of her, the more she felt her anger level rising. With a scream Barbara charged Ra's swinging her sword wildly forcing Ra's to play defense. With every swing of Barbara's sword her blows was getting more and more harder, she soon knocked Ra's sword clean out of his hands, Ra's watched his metallic weapon hit the ground with a clang before feeling the impact of Barbara's boot on his chest knocking him off his balance and falling down a flight of stairs. Ra's laid his back and watched as Barbara put her boot on his chest, pinning him down as she raised her sword above her head.

"Come on," Ra's smiled "Do it."

Barbara started to lower her sword, but just as it was about to meet Ra's heart she stopped, coming to her senses as she removed her boot from Ra's chest.

"No, I am not like you, you choose to murder and destroy, and I will never stoop to your level of justice."

Ra's frowned and growled at Barbara's response. "Is that your final answer?"

"It's the only one your getting."

Growling Ra's took out his dagger again and stabbed Barbara in the leg, forcing her to scream in pain as Ra's forced her off him. Ra's then got up and drawing his sword he made his way to where Harley laid.

"If you won't take my place, then your friends will be the first to die as a result of your secret being out!"

Barbara screamed as Ra's took out his sword and started to raise it over Harley's head. Grabbing her sword she ran towards Ra's and impaled her sword through his chest. Ra's gasped as he felt the cold metal run through his body. Looking down at his chest he saw the tip end of Barbara's sword sticking out.

Barbara gasped when she realized what she just did. Removing her sword she covered her mouth with her right hand and started to take a couple steps backwards in horror.

Ra's grabbed Barbara's free hand and as he fell to his knees he took off his ring with the insignia of the demon's head on it hand placed it on Barbara's finger."

"Those who kill Ra's Al Ghul, become Ra's Al Ghul. Congratulations Barbara Gordon, you're the new head of the Demons.

Ra's then fell backwards and died leaving Barbara to fall to her knees in shock and look at her blood covered hands and the new ring that was displayed on it.

"No!" Barbara cried.

It was right then that Alfred woke up and saw Ra's on the floor dead, and the blood that stained Barbara's gloves.

"Barbara," Alfred gasped "What have you done?"

Barbara saw her cowl laying on the ground beside her, picking it up she held it at her face and stared deeply into the eye holes of the cowl. This mask was suppose to represent justice, truth, and honor. And what Barbara did, was none of those. Screaming she threw the mask across the cave with all her might and watched as it split it two as it hit the wall. She then ripped the rest of her suit off of her and threw them the ground. Revealing only undershirt and shorts under the suit.

Turning to Alfred, all Alfred said was the words "Run" and Barbara got on the Bat cycle, and drove out the exit of the cave, never planning on entering it again.

**To be concluded next chapter.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Here we go the final chapter, after this we will have only one finale story in my Batgirl saga before this long running series is complete, let's get to this. **

**P.S just saw Joker, it was whack **

"Are you sure about this Babs?"

After hearing about the death of Hugo on the news and receiving a distraught phone call from a emotionally broken Babs, Tim and Selina met Babs back at her apartment where she was getting ready to go on the run.

"I have no choice Tim," Barbara replied as she took a pair of scissors to her hair and started snipping away at her long red locks . "I killed today, and not in self defense either. I could have held back but I let my emotions control my actions and now both Hugo Strange and Ra's Al Ghul is dead, I am apparently the new head of the league of shadows and my secret has been exposed to the entire world." Barbara sat down the scissors as her cut strands of hair fell down the drain of her bathroom sink. Gone was her long hair that went down to her lower back, now she wore her hair so short it resembled a boys haircut. Taking out a bottle of hair dye she started pouring it in her hair and started scrubbing to get the color as deep as possible. "There is nowhere Barbara Gordon can run that the police won't be looking for her. So I can't be Barbara Gordon anymore."

"Where will you go?" Selina asked

"I don't know, I just know I can't be here, not anymore."

Letting the dye soak in then washing her hair she came back with brown hair, not a trace of her signature red locks to be seen. There was one last thing she needed to complete her new look, Selina gave her a pair of brown contact lenses, to make her blue eyes come across as brown.

Lastly came the fake ID. Printing out a new ID card with Barbara's new look, she gave herself a new name, Stephanie Brown, the name she would carry to whichever city she decided to make her new home.

"I must know," Tim asked as Barbara put on a hoodie and shades to cover her look as much as possible, "Who's going to protect the city now that you are going to be gone?"

"You will," Barbara replied, "You proved yourself these last few weeks better than I could ever hope, Gotham will look up to you, I know you will be a better hero than I ever was."

"I will not let you down, I promise."

It was then that Selina saw flashing lights pulling up outside the window. Selina looked out and saw three police cars pull up, along with six heavily armed officers.

"Um we got trouble, the cops are here."  
"Barbara run!" Tim replied

"But what about you two?"

"In case you didn't already know, I already have a long criminal record," Selina pulled out her whip and a pair of bolas to use on the cops for when they came through the door. "I can handle myself just fine."

"I don't exactly mind the outlaw vigilante role myself." Tim replied taking out his staff, "but if they catch you than you will be spending the rest of your life in prison, now go!"

"Barbara Gordon, this the is police open up!" The cops were banging on Barbara's apartment door as loud was they could trying to get in. Taking out the one batarange she still had on her, one that her dad gave her years ago as a Christmas present that once belonged to Batman, she pulled up her hoodie to cover her face, and raised it ready to throw. "Your under arrest!"

The second the cops burst through the door Barbara threw the Batarange, knocking the gun out of one on the officers hands. She then kicked the officer in the face knocking him to the ground. She hated attacking these officers, she knew each one of them as they were friends of her father. She had even been to a barbecue as a young girl with the officer she just kicked.

"Run Barbara, run!" Tim replied taking out his staff and striking it against one of the officers. Barbara ran out of her apartment as fast as she could. One of the officers attempted to go after her but Selina tossed her bola causing it to wrap around the officers waist and making him fall.

While Selina and Tim fought off the remaining cops Barbara hopped on her motorcycle, and putting on her helmet she sped off as fast as she could leaving Selina and Tim to fend for themselves.

Thirty minutes later, while hiding down crime alley, Barbara sent one last text to her father. Jim heard a text came in and he gasped when he read who it was from, his daughter.

"_I'm sorry"_ was all the text said. Not wanting to go after his own daughter, even if he was mad that she didn't tell him her secret Jim simply replied with two quick words.

_Run Babs_

Receiving her dads last text Barbara smashed her phone against the pavement destroying anyway of tracking her from it. She then saw a member of a street gang driving down the ally. She needed a new ride and fast. The cops knew her by this bike, if she was going to disappear out of Gotham, she needed a new set of wheel.

The street gangster stopped when he spotted her. "Damn, what's a fine girl like you doing around this part of the city, looking for a man to have a one night stand with?"

"No, but I do like that bike of yours, mind if we switch rides?"

"No can do girl this puppy cost me my life savings and I ain't selling it for nothing."

"I don't think I was asking," Barbara then lunged at the guy and wrapping her arms around his mouth and nose the gangster lost consciousness and Barbara quickly laid him on the ground gently then swiped the keys to his bike.

"Grand theft auto, your really adding to your list off felonies Babs," Barbara told herself as she put the keys in the ignition and sped off.

On another side of Gotham Talia was being led into a police transport van to be led to a higher secured prison. As the vehicle drove down the streets, Talia suddenly wrapped her handcuffs around the first officers neck, holding him close to her body while she strangled him to prevent the other two officers from firing their weapons, after suffocating the first officer she grabbed his weapon and fired it at the other two officers shooting them each three times in the chest. Grabbing the keys she unlocked her cuffs then unlocked the back door of the transport vehicle and jumped out, making her escape.

"Nobody can hold the daughter of Ra's Al, Ghul."

Across Gotham Harley was being returned to Arkham City, on her way back to prison she was told of Babs being exposed and how she killed two people. While Harley was glad that Hugo and Ra's was gone for good she had a hard time wrapping her head around the idea of Bab's killing anyone. Being led back to her cell Harley shed a tear for her old friend knowing her life, like Harley's was officially over.

At Wayne Enterprise Lucius Forx deleted Barbara's name from the employee computer, shaking his head in disbelief, Barbara Gordon was Batgirl, not only that but she crossed a line Batman would never cross. As much as he hated to do it, he knew he couldn't keep Barbara on his staff knowing what she did, even though Wayne Enterprise was losing a fabulous mind.

At Gotham City limits Cops was stopping traffic searching every vehicle for Barbara. When the cops at Barbara's apartments gained consciousness they reported Barbara was gone along with Catwoman and Robin. Now in a attempt to catch her they stopped every car that reached City limits.

"We are going to have to ask you to remove your helmet and show some ID." A cop asked stopping Barbara's motorcycle. Barbara froze in fear but slowly did what the officer said trying not to raise any suspicions. Taking off her helmet she showed the cop her ID. The officer looked at it and read the name "Stephanie Brown." He then looked at Barbara's face and saw the short brown hair and brown eyes did not fit Barbara's description.

"Your free to go Miss Brown but be careful out there." The cop handed Barbara back her ID falling for the disguise and Barbara drove off giving a sigh of relief as she left Gotham, never to enter the city again as she made her way to Bludhaven.

**And that's it for this one, cliffhanger ending I know but how else am I to get you to come back for the next installment? The forth and finale installment will be posted sometime in 2020, why that long of a wait two reasons. One, so I can get started on the long delayed sequel to a Batman crossover with a popular Disney movie that is getting it's own sequel this year. Two, and the main reason, I just love torturing you guys. **

**End credit scene. **

Down in Bludhaven Nightwing landed on the rooftop of a police apartment where he was met by his former mentor Batman.

"Dick I need you to do me a favor?"

"I kind of have my own problems here as it is Bruce."

"Dick, it's important, Barbara has fled Gotham, and is here in Bludhaven."

"You want me to track her down and bring her in?"

"I need you to help her. She is lost and needs your help to find herself again. The League still needs me which means Gotham still needs her. Promise me you will help her find her confidence in herself again."

After thinking about it for a second Dick finally responded and nodded "I will not let you down."

**Batgirl Legacy, coming soon. **


End file.
